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UBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Slielf-X-3... 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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THE AUTHOR. 



HOW I BECAME 



A CRACK SHOT, 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS, 



-4^ 



8i 



By W. MILTON FARROW, 



WINNER OF 

The Albert Prize, ;^ioo. ) -pt,^,.,,,. 

The Wimbledon Cup, value i;ioo. i -^^^^'^"a- 

vSevres A'ase, by President Grevy, ) 

Bronze Statue *' Victory," by M. le Compte Vendeuvre. \ 

France, 
The Champions' Match, 'jS ) 

The AViMBLEDON Cup Match, 'So > Creedmoor. 

The Military Champions' Match, '82 ) 



NEWPORT : 
Davis & Pitman, Printers, 

1SS2. 




■ A 



Copyright 1882. 
By W. Milton Farrow. 



HOW 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



Chapter I. 

I was born at Belfast, Waldo County, in 
the State of Maine. M}' father was a native 
of Bristol in the same State, and served his 
country during the w^ar of 1812. It was 
his misfortune to be for a time confined in 
the prison at Halifax. My grandfather 
was a sergeant in one of the companies 
during the w^ar of the Revolution, and was 
present at the surrender of Cornwallis. 
Descended from such stock my claim to 
be a thorough American is certainly a valid 
one. 

From m}^ earliest recollections the love 
for powder and bullets, rifles and guns, 
was paramount to balls, tops, marbles, or 
any of the games of boyhood. Cannons, 
improvised from tin pen-holders, mounted 



4 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

on blocks with pins, were the tirst essay. 
'The premature explosion of this weapon 
Avith its natural consequences brought dis- 
favor from parental source, and powder 
was one of the interdicted substances. B}^ 
a lucky trade with an old junk man a rusty 
horse-pistol barrel was obtained, mounted 
on an oak block, secured by an iron staple. 
It proved a source of great delight. The 
standing piles on the pier-head, 300 yards' 
distance, was the enemy, and man}^ were 
the pounds of lead fired away in the 
attempt to make " Long Tom " do fine work. 
School vacations were spent when possi- 
ble on board father's vessel, a goodly 
schooner of seventy tons burthen, plying in 
the coasting trade from Belfast, east and 
west ; here the use of the shot gun was 
learned and chances for practicing on coots 
and ducks were never neglected. The feel- 
ings of triumph were most keenly enjoyed 
when returning to the vessel in harbor from 
some neighboring ledge of rocks or island in 
the bay with a goodly bag, to hear the hearty 
praises from older lips. Never will I for- 



HOW I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. 5 

U'et mv first ba^ of that most wilv bird, the 
"Black Duck'' of the coast. One Novem- 
ber morning I noticed with the telescope a 
flock of ducks feeding over the bar running 
from Torv's to Trumpet Island in Eixne- 
moggin Reach, a sinuous passage amongst 
the islands, running east and west on the 
coast of Maine. The schooner was in 
Centre Harbor. I informed father of the 
ducks in sight and I desired to go after 
them. Smiling and shaking his head, he 
replied : " Black ducks I you want to go 
after black ducks, it takes an older hunter 
than you are to shoot black ducks. " I at 
last got his consent to try. After stepping 
the mast in the boat alongside and the gun 
passed in I pushed off. A light southerly 
breeze soon carried the boat out into the 
Reach. Yes, the ducks were still there. 
Steering for the leeward point of Tory's 
Island, my plan was formed to land on the 
side opposite the birds and try to stalk 
them through the grass. Gun in hand I 
stepped on the outer shore of the island to 
walk towards the farther point where the 



D HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

birds were feeding. The high bank would 
conceal my approach up to one hundred 
yards, then the grass was barely high 
enough to conceal one lying flat. The 
gun I carried as I took my way along was 
an old muzzle-loading twelve bore which 
was in the usual condition of guns kept on 
ship-board, barrels like a rusty bar, the 
locks inclined to be weak, and the hammers 
rather shaky, but for all that it had a repu- 
tation for killing coots and ducks second to 
none in the county. My progress through 
the grass was very slow as I pushed the 
gun in advance. I had received minute 
instructions from father never to get in 
front of the gun in crawling or working 
my way up to birds, as it was better to 
occasionally lose a shot than to run the 
risk of shooting myself drawing the gun 
towards me by the muzzle. The grass 
was getting thin in front. I must be near 
the bank on the side next the ducks. With 
both hammers at full cock I raised nearly 
up, my left elbow still on the ground. 
Thirty yards in front were the ducks, a 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 7 

flock of fifteen or more. Aiming for the 
centre of the bunch I pulled the trigger ; a 
sharp click was the only response, but 
every duck's head was straight up at the 
sound. Nervously my finger felt for the 
left-hand trigger, when bang went the 
other barrel, without any aim, up went the 
ducks as only ''blackies" can "go up" not 
a feather touched. I could have cried, as 
I lay and watched their receding forms. 
Presently I noticed they had changed their 
course, were swinging toward me with 
intent to cross the bar between the islands, 
but the strong southwest wind blows them 
leeward fast, they are flying at right angles 
to the wind and will cross within shot. I 
feel for another "G. D.," but the box of 
caps was left in the boat. On come the 
ducks. I sit up now and look at them, 
sixty, forty, only thirty yards away, and 
bunched so beautifully. 

I put up the old crow-bar as I had called 
it, to show what I could have done had I 
not forgotten the caps and derisively pulled 
the trigger right at the middle of the flock. 



8 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

Bang I — I was nearly laid flat. Enough of 
the fulminate from the " G. D." cap had 
remained on the cone to cause the explo- 
sion of the powder. Jumping to my feet I 
looked for the birds. The aim was deadly. 
Five of them dropped on the point and the 
shore, two others left the bunch and after a 
moment set their wings and slowly settled 
to the waters of the Reach. My joy knew 
no bounds. How I caressed and patted the 
rusty barrel which the moment before I 
had so feelingly dubbed a crow-bar. I 
picked up my ducks, three with broken 
wrings and two killed outright, put them in 
the boat and started in the direction I had 
marked the two crippled ones. One only 
I found floating dead, then headed the boat 
for the harbor. I carefully concealed the 
ducks under the stern sheets and ranged 
alongside. " Pity the ducks were so shy. 
Hand up the gun. I was watching through 
the glass when you fired. How near did 
you get to them?" "About thirty yards," 
I replied. ''Thirty yards and not drop 
one ! Well, well, I expected better work 



HOW I BECA.AIE A CRACK SHOT. 9 

than that alter all my instructions ; what 
was the matter?" "Oh, the gun missed 
fire and I pulled off the second barrel with- 
out takinof aim." "I thoui^ht I heard vou 
shoot a second time. What did you fire 
at?" with a little impatience. '^Come, 
jump up out of that boat." Coming to the 
side of the vessel just as I pulled out one 
duck he said, ''What have you got there? " 
''Where?" I answ^ered, as I tried to con- 
ceal the bird behind me. '' A black duck?" 
inquiringly and w^ith some astonishment. 
"Yes," I shouted, "and another and 
another," I repeated, until I had tossed on 
the deck the six beautiful birds. My tri- 
umph was complete, and boy like, I 
shouted, "Now I guess you wdll think I 
can shoot black ducks as well as some older 
hunters." I cannot describe his astonished 
looks. He had seen the ducks fly aw^ay 
uninjured, and then to have them intro- 
duced so suddenly to his attention was too 
much for his equilibrium. "Well done, 
well done ! " " Six." " Why— how— how^ 
— did — you — do — it?" and he looked at 



lO HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

the ducks then at me two or three times. 
A full explanation followed with congratu- 
lations encore. I remember at the next 
meal, however, the favors of kind Provi- 
dence were mentioned most devoutly in the 
Grace. 




HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. II 



Chapter II. 

Having no taste for a life on the water it 
was settled that '' Milton must learn a trade 
or go to Bowdoin College.*' I was allowed 
the choice, and the fortunate circumstance 
of father's taking his watch to the jewelers, 
decided the question. I was apprenticed 
to Hiram Chace for three years to learn the 
watch making and jewelry business, and 
here I may say that this early practicing at 
such fine work, which so much depended 
upon the steadiness of the hand and nerve, 
no doubt laid the foundation for that com- 
mand of nerve and will power that, 
especially in oft-hand target shooting, is so 
necessary for success. It was promised on 
father's part, if I gave a good account of 
myself at the end of the three years, he 
would give me as my own the '' Red, White 
and Blue," a small three sail yacht, which 
for beauty and speed, in my eye, far sur- 



12 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

passed any of the otlier boats to be found in 
Belfast Ba}'. After three years steady 
application to this business and finding my 
health somewhat impaired, I decided to go 
down among the islands in m}^ own yacht, 
camping, hunting and fishing, and thus 
enjoy a vacation that I sadly felt in need of. 
Enlisting a friend about my own age for the 
expeditio-n, we made our preparations. I 
furnished a double barrel shot gun, he a 
small muzzle loading rifle, and with plenty 
of provisions, we started down Penobscot 
Bay. Passing Long Island on the starboard 
hand, we turn to the eastward by Cape 
Rosier and enter Eggemoggin Reach, 
which extends from Pumpkin Island to the 
south and east, nearly to Mt. Desert, our 
objective point. Innumerable were the 
shots we had at the divers, coots and gulls. 
The end of the first week found us at 
anchor near Ship Island, where we pro- 
posed to stop a few days, and try to capture 
a seal, as we had seen a number around 
the ledges to the southward of the Island, 
and the fishing also was very fine in that 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 3 

vicinity. The next morning found us on 
our course for the fishing ground. We 
arrived in season to take advantage of the 
slack tide, and secured a goodly number of 
cod and pollock. This was George's first 
experience with the latter fish, and the first 
that he hooked was a lively one. ''Oh, I've 
got him, I've got him," he repeated. And 
it really seemed so, for he was pulling in 
the line very fast. " What is it ?" I inquired. 
An expert fisherman can tell the kind that 
has been hooked long before the fish breaks 
water. I had barely put the interrogatory 
when, "Snub I Snub ! " His line suddenly 
stopped. He could not budge it. '' Look 
out I " I cried. The warning came too late, 
the line had begun to Zip ! Zip I through 
his fingers, and the fish now having got 
head downward, made the line ''sing" 
through his hands so fast it seemed like a 
red hot wire, and he let go, crying, '' Oh I 
oh I I'm burnt, I'm burnt." "Catch the 
line," I cried," you will lose the fish.'* " To 

h 1 with the fish, oh I oh I " and he 

rubbed his hands and bemoaned his luck in 



14 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

such accents of genuine feeling, I was con- 
strained to examine them : but I could not 
see that line go overboard entirely, and I 
jumped forward just in time to catch the 
reel or frame, upon which the cod lines are 
generally wound, as it was going over the 
side. The hold I made on it, with the sud- 
den stopping, turned the fish, and' I began 
to haul in as fast as I could; five fathoms 
came in, — ten fathoms, when, snub ! snub I 
but I was prepared for it, and with a dex- 
terous turn round the end of a cleat I held 
on. Once more I began to pull in. George 
had forgotten his burning hands in the ex- 
citement now, and stood ready to help me. 
"Get that gaff' and be ready to hook him," 
I shouted. What a beautiful telephone that 
line must have been. I had no sooner spoken 
than the fish redoubled his efforts to get 
head down again, and this time with suc- 
cess, but I did not hold the line so tight as 
to burn mv fin^fers, and after the fish had 
run nearly to the bottom, I thought it was 
my turn to " snub ! snub !" which I did, 
and I soon had the pollock heading up 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 5 

again. His efforts to stop were not so fre- 
quent now, becoming evidently fatigued or 
conquered. I brought him to the surface 
and George with the gaft' at once Hfted him 
out, a ten pound pollock. ''That's what I 
call a lively fish," he cried, "I didn't expect 
any such fishing as this." ''How are your 
hands," I answered. ''x\ll right now, here 
goes for another of the same sort," and he 
threw over his hooks freshly baited. With 
the admonition to make the end of his line 
fast, I left him to try my own. 

We soon had all the fish we wanted and 
I suggested w^e should go up near the 
Barge and Jolly Boat Ledges to look for 
seals. It was a long way to windward 
from Placentia Head to the ledges, but we 
made it in good time. The tide had risen 
some but still I detected with the aid of the 
spy-glass a number of seal on the rocks ; 
with rifle and gun ready we gradually 
approach : we sail up to within one hun- 
dred yards of the rocks, I dare not go 
nearer with the yacht. "Get ready, George," 
I almost whispered, and give it to that 



l6 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

middle one. I fancied he would be more 
likely to hit some of them if he fired at the 
one in the centre. We heard the bullet 
sing as it bounded from the rock, and the 
way the seals bounded, too, one would 
almost imagine they had wings. In a 
second, almost, not a seal was in sight 
except the head of one or two a long dis- 
tance aw^ay in the water. " I put some* life 
into them, anyhow," said George. "Yes," 
I replied, "but see, there is one right 
ahead, you take the helm, it is my turn to 
shoot," and I took the shot-gun and ran 
forw^ard. Keep her off a little, I motioned, 
steady. At about thirty yards I fired. The 
gun was loaded wath No. 6 shot and as the 
boat was bouncing about some, I had to 
take a quick aim. A clean miss was the 
result, but the sprinkling of the shot or the 
noise of the gun caused the seal to turn 
towards us before going down. We were 
then at about twenty yards distance when I 
fired the second barrel right in his face. 
" He is hit, he is hit, see the water fl}^ I " 
ejaculated George. As we sail over the 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 7 



place I see the water is tinged with blood. 
x\fter ''lying to" for a long while and see- 
ing no signs we start for our anchorage. 
'' I am not satisfied," remarked my com- 
panion, ''I think you killed that seal. I 
will take the dingy and row down there." 
" Oh I nonsense," said I. "Seals always 
sink when killed, and in deep water it is 
seldom they are captured." "Let's go 
down, anyhow." He was so anxious I 
consented. Placing a flounder spear in the 
boat, with gun and rifle we, started. It was 
two miles at least to the ledges, but the 
wind being with us we soon made the dis- 
tance. Carefully we rowed round the largest 
of the ledges, near the place where the seal 
went down. When on the opposite side of 
the rocks we noticed a roundish point pro- 
jecting from the water. " That's him," 
whispers George. "Take the rifle this 
time." Carefully taking aim, I fire. The 
water splashes just by his nose, and as the 
seal goes down in a cloud of spray I cannot 
tell if I hit or no. We row round and 
round the ledge, but no sign of our game. 



l8 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

As we were about to give up I fancied I 
saw something floating near where the seal 
last went dow^n. We carefully row up and 
I take the spear and stand in the bow of 
the little boat as we silently approach. 
Ten feet, now six feet only divide us ; 
three feet, and with all my force I drive 
the spear through the neck of a baby seal 
that is so fat he could not stay down. I 
had obliterated his eye-sight with the shot- 
gun, he could not see where to go, and so 
much fat acted as a float and brought him 
to the surface. His struggles were fierce 
and it seemed for a moment that we were 
in danger of being upset, as I tried to lift 
him with the spear into the boat. I saw 
the danger and held him awa}^ The spear 
had passed through the fleshy part of the 
neck and was secure, still he lashed the 
water into foam and threw the spray com- 
pletely over us. Finding a convenient 
piece of drift-wood in the boat I draw up 
to the seal, now becoming somewhat 
exhausted, and a succession of rapid blows 
on the head and nose takes his life at once. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I9 

We haul in our trophy and find a young 
seal of about three months' growth, which 
explains the fact of our getting so near to 
him in the morning. It w^as a long pull 
back to the yacht, but the fact of our suc- 
cess lightened the labor and we noted not 
the time. 

Thus w^e passed nearly three wrecks, and 
after capturing another seal and catching 
fish to our hearts' content, we left for home. 
In September I started on another trip, but 
the disastrous gale of the 15th of that month 
wrecked my yacht and cast me ashore upon 
the rocks. We returned home by land and 
it was then I found I must enter upon the 
stern realities of life. No more play. I 
must devote my time to l)usiness. My 
three years' stay at the jewelry trade had 
fitted me to earn my ow^i livelihood, and 
wdth a first class recommendation from my 
late employer I started for Boston, where I 
soon found a situation quite to my liking. 



20 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



Chapter III. 

The following Spring I came to New- 
port, R. I., where after four years' sojourn 
I opened business for myself. The Cen- 
tennial year, the visit of the Foreign Team 
at Creedmoor and the publication of their 
scores first drew my attention to rifle shoot- 
ing. One day, after reading the scores of 
the Americans, I said to brother, who 
was with me in my business, " I believe I 
can shoot a rifle as well as some of those 
gentlemen." He at once replied: "Why 
don't you try?" I sent at once and pur- 
chased a first class long range rifle, and 
began practice at 200 and 500 yards. My 
labors at the watch bench in holding and 
fixing the tiny parts of the movements no 
doubt contributed in a great measure to the 
education of my nerves for the holding and 
sustaining at a fine point, the aim upon 
the bull's eye. The adjustment of the '' rear 



now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 21 

-ight" and "wind gauge," for the correc- 
lions of the elevation and the deviations of 
the bullet by the wind, were ditBculties 
that were quickly surmounted and I began 
to shoot well from the very start. In a 
short time a rifle club was formed of which 
I soon became the leading marksman. 
My first medal was won in the club. It 
was given for ten shots at 200 yards ; to be 
won three times before becoming the per- 
sonal property of the winner. This prize 
was captured in three out of the only four 
competitions. 

I made a study of projectiles, the veloc- 
ity of the wind, and the radiation of light 
and heat, in order to find their bearing and 
influence upon the practice of the art. 

The first match entered into at the long 
ranges, 800, 900 and 1000 yards, vvas shot 
at Blackstone Range, near Providence, R. 
I., October 4th, 1876. It was the "Fall 
Shoot" of the local rifle organization at that 
place. The prize w^as a new "magazine" 
pistol to be competed for with seven shots 
at each distance. It was my second attempt 



22 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

in scoring at these extreme ranges, but 
meeting with good success in finding the 
^^ bull's eye" at the first stage of the shoot- 
ing, I was lucky enough to carry ofi' the 
prize with a score of 86 out of a possible 
105, which for the day and those times was 
considered to be first class work. Some 
prominent shooters were at this meeting 
and took part in this very match, and 
among them were Messrs. N. Washburn, 
F. J. Rabbeth and George Davidson and 
many others, who had made local reputa- 
tions upon this range. 

My next essay wdth the rifle was at Sar 
atoga, on the way to the Centennial. I 
took my gun along and w^ent up the river 
to attend a small meeting. At that meet I 
took the second prize, at 600 3'ards, with a 
score of 46 out of a possible 50, and first 
prize at the 200 3'ards w^ith a score of 44. 

In the Spring of 1877, 1 went to New York 
to learn the rifle business, and secured a sit- 
uation with the agents for the manufacture 
of the "Ballard Rifle." 

M}' first season at Creedmoor I h^d much 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 23 

to learn, being brought into open competi- 
tion with the crack shots of the country. I 
found a Httle sharper practice than I had 
before seen, but met with some success, 
especially in one match, at the long ranges, 
by the Amateur Rifle Club, of which I had 
become a member, for a bronze medal which 
was presented by the National Rifle Associ- 
ation, to be competed for with 15 shots at 
the distances of 800, 900 and 1000 yards. 
The competition was a very spirited one, 
such shots as I. Allen, H. Jewel, N. Wash- 
burn and other members of the club took part. 
The score was 203, out of a possible 225, 
which was considered a very creditable one, 
under the circumstances. I also made m}' 
first winning for the " Turf, Field and 
Farm" Challenge Badge, a medal that 
must be won three times before it could 
become the personal property of the 
winner. 



24 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



Chapter IV. 

In the Winter of 1878 I went to Califor- 
nia on a business trip, and in April of that 
year won a medal against all comers, 
shooting 60 shots at 200 yards, on a ring 
target, % inch rings. The prize was a 
beautiful medal given by the San Fran- 
cisco Turnvcrein Society at Alameda Park. 
The score was 1,268 rings, leading by 100 
points the next best competitor. 

Note. — We here condense a portion of Mr. Farrow's 
narrativ^e which relates to a somewhat unpleasant 
experience abroad. The facts being fairly stated the 
reader can form his own opinion as to his treatment. 

—[Ed. 

Mr. Farrow returned to New York to 
compete in the grand festival of the Sharp- 
shooters' Union of America, held in the 
following June at Union Hill, New Jersey, 
where he won the King's Medal, and on 
the Target of Honor a splendid silver 




6oo shots, 200 yards, ofF-hand. 

Score 1049 points. 

Hits in 12 in. black only to count. 

Scoring i, 2 and 3.. 



HO'W 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



-:) 



champagne cooler. His score was 1,049 
points, and he was crowned as the Schutzen 
Kinor, to reiijn until the next festival which 
was to take place in three years from that 
time. 

Immediately after the Schutzen Fest, 
Mr. Farrow sailed for Europe and appeared 
for the first time among the sportsmen of 
Wimbledon. Here he won a number of 
prizes and then went to Dusseldorf, where 
he won several medals and a silver cup. 
His reception there by the local marksmen 
was not so cordial as he expected, from the 
position he occupied with the Germans in 
America, representing as he did the Ger- 
man shooting clubs. Having been crowned 
king of all the shooters in the United States 
of that style of shooting, he naturally 
expected a friendly reception at least. The 
manner of shooting in Germany was some- 
what different from that practiced in Amer- 
ica. Guns of only about thirteen pounds 
weight being allowed and also ''open 
sights" or sights that could be construed to 
be open, might be used : while on this side 



20 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

of the water, guns of any weight, with 
"peep" and "globe sights," were allowable 
for competition. After the modification of 
the sights, then the knack of proper holding 
and the adjustment of the elevations was 
something that one must become accus- 
tomed to. With these disadvantages it 
was hardly to be expected that any of the 
local shooters at Dusseldorf would be 
jealous of the eftbrts of the representative 
shots coming from such a distance ; but 
when Mr. Farrow went to shoot on the 
Target of Honor, this competition con- 
sisted of two shots only on the Ring Tar- 
get ; the first attempt was rewarded with 
a nineteen, twenty being the dead centre, 
the highest possible to be made with one 
bullet. When coming out of the shooting 
stand one of the shooting masters, named 
Decker, seized his rifie from his hand with 
some imprecation muttered in German, and 
began a violent harangue in that language, 
which being translated by a friend was to 
the effect that some one had complained 
that Mr. Farrow's rifle was too heavy, and 



now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 27 

infringed the rules in other respects. All 
rifles brought into the competition, accord- 
ing to the rules, have to pass through the 
hands of an examining committee who 
attach a seal to the guns showing that they 
have been examined and approved by their 
hands. Upon exhibiting the seal to the 
shooting master, his reply was, he " didiit 
cai'C a damn for the seals ^ he would exam- 
ine the gitn for hwisef^' Mr. Farrow 
suggested to him that out of courtesy, at 
least, he should allow him to finish his 
score which he had already begun, but 
Decker would not surrender the gun and 
marched oft^ with it in his possession. His 
object, undoubtedly, was to upset or agitate 
the shooter that his next shot would be 
anything but a ^' bull's eye," as a shot of 
that description would give to the x\meri- 
can the grand silver urn presented by 
Kaiser William. Upon his return with the 
rifle Mr. Farrow, through his interpreter, 
informed the shooting master, who he was, 
exhibited his King's Medal of the United 
States, and asked the German if he sup- 



28 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHO'J\ 

posed, that coming from such a distance 
and representing such a class of men, he 
would try to win by fraud? The German's 
reply may have been characteristic, any- 
way it was very emphatic, ''He didnt care 
a damn for Mr, Farrozv or his medal 
either'' 

The excitement consequent upon such an 
interruption was enough to shake the stead- 
iest nerves, and such outrageous treatment,, 
where something more gentle was expected^ 
was too much for the American. The next 
shot was not a bull's eye but near to it,, 
though far enough away to accomplish the 
object Mr. Decker had in view. Another 
American was treated in almost exactly a 
similar way, which would go to show that 
the whole thing was a premeditated aflair. 

From Dusseldorf he journeyed to Stutt- 
gart. His reception there by the riflemen 
of that club was very cordial, Mr. Edward 
Foehr, the President of the x\ssociation> 
tendering all the civilities and extending the 
use of the shooting house and grounds for 
a friendly competition ; indeed, such was 



now 1 BI'X'AME A CRACK SHOT. 29 

the kindness of this gentleman, that it was 
in his society and at his invitation, that Mr. 
Farrow visited the Palace ot^ King Charles 
of Wurtemburg its art galleries and 
floral conservatories, and to all the other 
principal attractions of the city he was per- 
sonally conducted. 

From Stuttgart to Friedericksharphen, 
across Lake Constance, by rail to Wald- 
shutt. 

The Swiss are limited to use their govern- 
ment cartridge, which is of a "rim-fire" 
description, with a bullet of 42 calibre. 
None of Mr. Farrow's rifles being able to 
take this ammunition, they were of course 
debarred from any competition. 

From Waldshutt to Schaftliausen, and 
then to Basle, from Basle to Paris where 
the French Exposition was in progress, 
here a study of the Ordnance Department 
was an interesting subject to which consid- 
erable time was devoted. 

At this point it might be well to remark 
that to travel in foreign countries for any 
particular object, either of sport or the 



30 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

introduction of business, it is Mr. Farrow's 
opinion that one must make one trip in 
order to know how to go another time. 
So this first experience on the other side 
gave so much information and so many 
points that the after successes were no 
doubt due to the knowledge gained in this 
journey. 




Champions Match. 

1878. 



HOW I- BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 3I 



Chapter V. 

Mr. Farrow returned from abroad just in 
time to take part in the meeting of the 
National Rifle Association at Creedmoor in 
1878. Here the championship match was 
the highest prize. It included the grand 
gold medal of the Association which 
was the '' Blue Ribbon " of the meeting. 
The highest honor to be obtained in the 
Fall meeting, was to win this championship 
match; it consisted often shots each, at 
200, 600 and 1000 yards. Mr. Farrow 
started in at the 200 with a score of 46, 
at the 600 yards 47 points, and at the 1000 
yards 46, making a total of 139, which was 
four points ahead of any other competitor. 
Thus it may be seen that in two years time, 
Mr. Farrow had risen to the position oichafn- 
-pion rifle shot of the United States, This 
match is a yearly competition at Creedmoor. 
It is open to all comers and the valuable 



32 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

prize given b}' the N. R. A. is well worth 
the competing for. This closed the shoot- 
ing season of 1878. 

The monthly meetings of the National 
Rifle Association for the year 1879 began 
on April i6th with the fitl:eenth competition 
for the Challenge Badge, presented by the 
"Turf, Field and Farm." The conditions 
of this match called for 10 shots at 200 
yards, "oft-hand," the medal to be won 
three times before becoming the personal 
property of the winner. 

This fifteenth competition proved to be 
the last, having won it on two previous 
occasions with the scores of 42 and 44. I 
was again a winner with a higher score 
than had yet been made during the 14 
previous competitions, 47 out of a possible 

SO. 

And here I will remark that the value of 
these competitions, at 200 j^ards oft-hand, 
to any marksman, is much underrated by 
the average range officer at Creedmoor. 
There is no point in rifle shooting that will 
test a man's steadiness of nerve and his 




Given bj Turf, Field & Farm. 

Creedmoor, 200 jards, off-hand. 

Won 3 times. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 33 



reliability as a competent marksman to put 
on a team, than this 200 yard off-hand shoot- 
ing. The person who can or does become 
a strong off-hand shot, can overcome all the 
obstacles in shooting at any other range or 
distance, and I will also say, that the old 
adage, ''It is a poor rule that won't work 
both ways," may, in this case, be considered 
a poor rule, for it will not work in the oppo- 
site direction; it is not alwa3^s, that a first 
class long range marksman, can become a 
first class short range or oft-hand shooter. 

Some weeks prior to the match just 
related, the Annual Gallery Tournament of 
'' The Forest and Stream " came oft' at an 
up town New York gallery. The conditions 
called for teams of ten men, to shoot 10 
shots each on a Creedmoor target reduced 
for the distance. 

There were ten teams entered, in all 100 
men. The shooting lasted for five days. 
The team of which I was a member won first 
place ; the prizes consisted of a gold medal 
to each member of the winning team. Per- 
sonall}' making the best score of the one 



34 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

hundred men, it seems that a sHght mention 
of the circumstance will not be out of place. 

The following June sees our marksman 
again crossing the Atlantic. The golden 
prizes at Wimbledon and the tempting shoots 
on the continent, were the attractions w^hich 
beckoned him to take part. 

The annual meetings at Wimbledon of 
the British National Rifle Association are 
held generally the second and third weeks 
in July. x\t this meeting frequently from 
ten to twenty thousand pounds are distrib- 
uted as prizes amongst the competing 
marksmen. A great many of the matches 
are open to all comers, and the prizes are 
liberal and attractive. Many of these 
matches are arranged to admit sporting 
guns of American pattern, and to these 
matches most of our attention was directed ; 
the particular one being the "Albert" prize 
which consisted, in 1879, o^ two stages; 
the first stage was 200, 600 and 900 yards, 
and only the winners of a prize in this first 
competition are allowed to compete in the 
second stage of the match, which was 15 




^« Albert," £ioo, England. 



now I I3ECAME A CRACK SHOT. 35 

shots at 1000 yards : there being in this 
stage one prize only, one hundred pounds 
cash. 

The prize in this match was originally 
given by Prince Albert before his demise, 
and has been perpetuated by the Associa- 
tion in remembrance. It is considered the 
greatest honor to win this match next to 
the Queen's prize, which was not open to 
any x-\mericans. 

With a score of 70 points out of a possi- 
ble 75, our champion takes away the one 
hundred pounds, the first time it was ever 
won by any American. At this meeting 
Mr. Farrow also made 34 in the 'Wlfred " 
match, out of a possible 35, and in the St. 
Leger, making the highest possible score, 
all bulls' eyes in a possible 35, also making 
33 in a possible 35 of the ^^iVci third series^ 
another 34 out of a possi]ple 35 in the 
Graphic, which was 7 shots at 1000 3'ards. 

This series of matches were open to all 
comers and the competitions were fairly 
and honorably contested ; indeed, the sys- 
tem of the competitions, the scoring and 



36 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



the marking as carried on at Wimbledon 
is among the fairest and most perfect of 
any rifle association in the world. 

The Albert prize was personally pre- 
sented to Mr. Farrow by the Duchess of 
Connaught as was also the St. Leger. 

The shoot at Versailles followed close 
upon the Wimbledon meet. On arriving 
in Paris with a letter of introduction to a 
prominent member of the society there, 
Mr. Farrow was advised by this gentleman 
to take a trip to Caen in Normandy. An 
international shoot was in progress at that 
place for some valuable prizes, notable 
amon^r which was a Sevres china vase 
presented by President Grevy, also a 
bronze statue given by "M. le General 
Count de Vendeuvre depute du Calvados,'' 
also the " Tromp-de-Ury," which consisted 
of an immense, horn fitted up with nickel 
trimmings ; following the crook on the 
outside from base to point it is 3 feet, 10 
inches in length and about 18 inches around 
the base, — a most valuable trophy, very 
rare and unique. Taking but 100 rounds 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 37 

of ammunition with his rifle, an immediate 
start was made on that Friday — from the 
fact that the shoot would close the follow- 
ing Monda3'. With no letters of introduc- 
tion, with no personal acquaintance and no 
friendly notice from an}^ one, he landed in 
Caen with barely sufiicient knowledge of 
the French language to get along in a 
restaurant. It seemed like attempting a 
tbrlorn hope to enter a competition for 
these prizes, but trusting to find a " fair field 
and no favor " the American shooter was 
determined to at least shoot his way or 
push his way by fair marksmanship to the 
attention of the competitors at the meet; but 
the events that followed here are best given 
in Mr. Farrow's own language. 

I landed at the English Hotel, where they 
were supposed to speak English, some one, 
but the broken English that w^as spoken by 
the proprietor w^as something horrible. It 
was impossible, almost, to make one's self 
understood or to understand him, but after 
a somewhat protracted conversation, I gave 
him to understand I wished to iake part in 



38 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

the rifle shoot, and he directed me to a gun 
store that was kept near — by one of the 
active members of the club, who, when I 
called there, introduced me to the Secretary 
of the Association, a gentleman that had 
seen some service in England and could 
manage to speak considerable English. 
With him I got along very nicely and we 
started for the rifle range of 200 metres, 
which was situated at Cruelly, some half a 
mile from the city. Knowing that there 
was a radical diflerence between 200 metres 
and 200 yards, for which my sights were 
arranged, it required a change in the eleva- 
tion to correct for the difference. I knew 
a metre w^as practically one-tenth longer 
than a yard. I adjusted my sights for what 
would be about 220 yards, and procured a 
ticket of entrance to the match for the prize 
given b}^ the President. This match con- 
sisted of six shots at 200 metres, oft-hand. 
On my first attempt I found the elevation 
calculated was a trifle too high, and the bul- 
let landed in the ring which counts 4, just 
above the bull's eve ; the next five succes- 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 39 

sive shots the bullets were fairly planted 
inside the bulFs eye, making a score of 29 
in a possible 30. The Secretary, upon the 
conclusion of the score, enthusiastically 
patted me on the back and exclaimed, "You 
have won ze prize given by President 
Grevy/' I was somewhat astonished at the 
fact, as the shooting was upon conditions 
which appeared quite easy to me, and I 
expected at least that during the three 
weeks that the shoot had been in progress a 
full score had probably been made. I then 
fired a few shots with their military rifle, 
wishing to inform m3'self of the range and 
accuracy from a personal inspection. The 
rifle was a Chassepot ; the ammunition 
appeared to be loaded with a paper patch 
bullet, and then lubricated with a thick cov- 
ering of grease or tallow, which, in my 
mind, explains the fault of extreme inaccu- 
racy of the rifles. Being satisfied with the 
experiment, I returned to my own rifle, and 
wishing to show the gentlemen that the 
shooting I had just made was not the result 
of accident, I procured another ticket in 



40 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

this match and succeeded in making another 
score of 29 in a possible 30. 

The enthusiasm of the Secretary at this 
feat was unbounded. He wished to know 
my standing and all the particulars of my 
voyage and trip, and upon our return to 
the city at 12 o'clock, the shooting having 
ceased, he immediately proclaimed the 
intelligence to the members of the club and 
his friends of the extraordinary feat of the 
American marksman. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 4I 



Chapter VI. 

In the afternoon, from one P. ]M., the 
shooting was continued at the 170 metres 
range, which was situated in the city. 
The ruins of an old castle were there and 
the range was located in the moat. The 
high walls on each side afforded ample 
protection from the wind, and the shooting 
being from indoors, the conditions were 
very favorable for fine scores. The target 
at this 170 metres was of a different char- 
acter from the one used at the 200 metres. 
The lines were drawn finer or closer. The 
bulFs eye, which was 4 inches in diameter, 
counted 10, the next ring was 9, the next 
8, and so out to the unit. 

The principal match here, was for the 
bronze statue already mentioned, which 
trial consisted of six shots, the highest 
possible score being 60 points. Not know- 
ing what had already been scored I pro- 



42 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

cured a ticket and on the first six shots 
secured a total of 54. The Secretary then 
informed me that 55 was the highest figure 
yet reached by any marksman, and that 
only by M. de St. Paul. As I was finish- 
ing my second score, this being a re-entry 
match, I noticed near the entrance of the 
shooting house some ladies, and in fact 
upon looking around I perceived that the 
shooting house was ver}' nearly filled w4th 
marksmen and spectators who were w^atch- 
ing the progress of the match, making 
many remarks, with animated gestures, 
which conveyed the impression to my mind,, 
that as I was the only one competing at the 
time, the}^ were discussing the relative 
merits of the score. The atmosphere being 
very close I tried to procure a glass of 
water, but was informed that* it could not 
be had, it was not on the premises. If I 
had asked for ale or wine or beer or spirits 
of any kind, it would have been forthcoming 
immediately, but a glass of water for a 
shooter was something not heard of in that 
countr}^ I was then introduced by the 



now I. BECAME A CKACK SHOT. 43 

Secretary to Madam de Saville and her 
two sons, one of whom had been educated 
in Enghind and could speak English quite 
fluently. He explained to me that his 
mother had been informed of the scores at 
the Cruelly Range, and had come down to 
witness my shooting in the match for the 
bronze figure. I replied that I was very 
much honored by their presence, that it 
sometimes happened to marksmen, at the 
v^y moment when wishing to do their best, ' 
that they became nervous and actually 
made poorer scores than would ordinarily 
be the case, but I would do my utmost 
to please them ; explaining to him I 
desired a glass of water, the atmosphere 
being verv close. He told one of the 
soldiers of my wishes and then sent him 
out to a neighboring house and procured a 
supply. The shooting on the other firing 
points had entirely ceased for the time, and 
the interest was all centred on the score I 
was about to make while the ladies were 
present. Taking my rifle in hand I began 
a third score, the first bullet of which struck 



44 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

in the ring next to the bull's eye and 
counted 9. Monsieur de Saville, pointing 
to a target on the wall, ?ifac simile of the 
one I was shooting at, explained to the 
ladies where the bullet had struck. Clean- 
ing my rifle, I prepared for the next shot. 
This I happily placed in the bull's eye, 
counting 10. A murmur of satisfaction 
went through the hall as the marker pro- 
claimed the position and value of the shot; 
the third shot was also a bull's eye, count- 
ing 10. At this the Madam clapped her 
hands and in a subdued tone cried, 
'^ Bravo I " '' Bravo I " The young gentle- 
man crossed to where I was standing and 
remarked to me : " My mother is very 
much pleased with your shooting." My 
answer was '' Tell your mother I can but 
shoot well in the presence of ladies." This 
pleasing little incident no doubt added 
greatly to the good feeling engendered by 
the accuracy of the shooting. The 4th 
shot was another 9, the 5th shot was again 
planted in the bull's eye, and a murmur of 
satisfaction went around once more. Now 



HOW I -becamp: a crack shot. 45 

everything depended upon the last shot, 
and marksmen who have been placed in 
the same position I was in at that time will 
no doubt understand the peculiar situation, 
and it is only those marksmen who have 
made a series of fine shots and are reduced 
to the last on the score to make a sure win^ 
who can know and understand the nervous 
strain and consequent intense excitement 
which is the result of this condition. The 
slightest tremor of the gun, the least acci- 
dental pressure of the finger, ruins every 
chance. It was while under the influence 
of these feelings that I raised the rifle for 
the last shot. A silence equalling that of 
death fell upon the interested company ; a 
little nervous tremor I felt and without hes- 
itation rested the gun down upon the 
shooting bench in front of me. A gentle 
hum of conversation was indulged in by 
those behind, the purport of which I well 
knew. Bracing myself once more I raised 
the rifle quickly and in an instant fired. 
At the instant of discharge I cried '' nettf" 
(meaning 9), knowing that the bullet had 



46 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

struck inside the ring, calling tor 9 points. 
This indeed was the fact and its verifica- 
tion by the scorer was the signal for an 
outburst of applause that was as hearty as 
it was genuine, even the ladies joining in 
the general enthusiasm. Here was an 
American marksman whose skill with the 
rifle was so unprecedented, whose magical 
scores stopped so little short of the " possi- 
ble " that the performance seemed border- 
ing on the marvelous. This ended the 
series of shots upon that ticket, the total of 
which was 57, giving me two points advan- 
tage over any other shooter, thus winning 
the prize. The young Frenchman once 
more came to my side and asked me how I 
knew the last shot was nine points, before 
the marker or scorer had signaled or 
indicated the fact. Smiling, I informed 
him that m}^ rifle always told me at the 
instant of explosion exactly what the bullet 
had made. This was something which he 
could not understand and he had quite an 
animated conversation upon the subject 
with his mother, she being well posted in 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 47 

rifle matters as her husband was one of the 
officers of the club and stood well up in the 
prize list. 

After a short rest I was induced to enter 
the match for the '' Tromp-de-Ury " prize, 
which consisted of a series of sixty shots, 3 
cards of 20 shots each. On the first card 
my total of 20 shots aggregated 182 ; on 
the second card the total was the same. 
Everything went well until my third shot 
from the last when my bullets were 
exhausted. I proposed to the Secretary 
that I should borrow one of their rifles to 
shoot the remaining three shots. His reply 
was, "You will lose ze prize." I then sug- 
gested that I should not shoot. His reply 
was the same, "You will lose ze prize." 
Upon inquiry I found that the rules required 
each one to shoot his own rifle and to shoot 
60 shots consecutively. I must say my 
ingenuity was somewhat taxed at this point, 
but a happy idea came to my relierand I 
asked him to give me three Martini cart- 
ridges. I knew there were no cartridges 
or bullets in all France that were suitable 



48 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

for my rifle and was forced to do something 
rather out of the line ; I removed the bullets 
from the Martini cartridges and with my 
pocket-knife whittled them down to the 
size required to fit the calibre of my rifle, 
and using some lubrication that I found 
there was enabled to finish my score, and 
m.ade three close shots and won the prize, 
much to the delighted surprise of the Sec- 
retary, who had been my best friend from 
the start and could hardly understand how 
such precision could be obtained from 
^' zvhittled htni^s of lead'' as he termed 
them. 

This ended the shooting for me in Caen. 
I found the next day that I had not onl}' 
won the three prizes already mentioned, 
but the grand gold medal of the society 
was also mine, being won by the aggre- 
ofated scores of the three matches mentioned. 

The President and some members of the 
society called at the hotel and insisted upon 
my staj^ng over a couple of days, as there 
would be a public presentation of the prizes 
by the Mayor of the city. After much 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 49 

persuasion I consented to remain. Tlie 
prizes were publicly presented in the 
'* Hotel de Ville " by the city notables 
before a crowded house and a sympathetic 
audience, for there was such feeling shown 
that when I stepped forward to receive the 
vase given by President Grevy, the band 
struck up Hail Columbia, the audience 
rose "^w masse'' cheering, with shaking of 
handkerchiefs and swinging of hats. It 
was a scene which will long be remem- 
bered by me ; a single American rifleman 
in a strange country had so won upon the 
sympathies and friendship of the entire 
city that the enthusiasm with which they 
welcomed him was almost overpowering. 
It was the grandest and finest public recep- 
tion in a foreign countr}" that was ever 
accorded to a single marksman. 

After the presentation I was escorted to 
the balcony where we witnessed a review 
of the Provencal Corps, and a torch-light 
procession also filed by with two immense 
bands playing the ''Marseilles^''* in which 
the people in the streets and in the proces- 
4 



50 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

sion joined, singing it in a very melodious 
and spirited manner. The evening was 
otherwise calm and quiet, and the melody 
of the music from the bands and the voices 
as it drifted up to the balconies was some- 
thing most delicious and charming to the 
ear. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 5 1 



Chapter Vll. 

My friend in Parjs, to whom I soon 
returned, was very much astonished at my 
success and remarked to me, "he fancied I 
would have more difficulty in winning the 
lirst prizes at Versailles, as he believed the 
riflemen there were very proficient," and 
invited me to appear at the range the fol- 
lowing week. 

The matches at Versailles were carried 
on in nearly the same manner as the match 
at Cruelly, with the exception of the cartons 
in the bull's eye, which counted six. We 
were allovved but five shots on each score 
at Versailles and after my second attempt 
the shooting appeared comparatively easy. 
There is a great advantage in a rifleman's 
becoming accustomed to the range and 
style of marking and the different manners 
of scoring. The range at Versailles is 
situated a short distance from " The Castle '^ 



52 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



which was built by Napoleon, and many 
millions of francs were expended upon it 
and its beautiful surroundings. On enter- 
ing the shooting grounds one is struck with 
the cleanliness and pleasant arrangement 
of the premises, the range, the shooting 
house, and cafe being separated by a plot 
of ground artistically laid out in flower 
beds and green sward with gravel walks 
between. The shooting house is a long 
building and its arrangement for the con- 
venience of the shooters and spectators is 
most complete. The different ranges are 
divided by railings and loading tables for 
the competitors, and each shooter takes his 
turn as his name is called by the score- 
keeper. The arrangem,ent of the targets 
is such, that one slides up when the other 
-slides down to facilitate the rapidity of the 
shooting, so that, as soon as the marksman 
has fired, he touches a small knob on the 
right which rings by electricity a bell at 
the target. The marker in the butts hear- 
ing his bell ring, examines the target, 
marks the shot, and then the value of it is 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 53 

telegraphed back to the shooting house by 
an arrangement of keys with numbers on 
them : these numbers are on small discs 
which, when their key is touched at the 
target, assume an upright position and 
show the number to the score-keeper, to 
the spectators and to the shooter himself; 
standing upright for an instant it then 
drops back and remains from sight until 
re-touched again trom the etiects of another 
shot. Nothing could be more convenient 
in its arrangement to show the spectators 
and the shooter the value of a shot in so 
^peedv a manner. 

At the 200 metres I made two full scores* 
30 points each, in a pos.-^ible 30 points ; at the 
300 metres I took lirst prize with 28 in a 
possible 30 points.: at the 150 metres I won 
lirst prize with 29 in a possible 30 points. 

Here again the American was victorious^ 
winning first prize on every target. I 
received the most proluse congratulations 
trom mv friend, who w^as now convinced 
that even the Versailles marksmen wxre no 
match lor my skill. Soon after leaving 



54 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

Paris I sailed for the United States, where 
I again took part in the Fall matches of 
the National Rifle Association of America. 
This meeting following so closely my 
arrival home, I had not recovered sufli- 
ciently from the effects of my trip across 
the Atlantic, to take a very prominent part. 



HO\N' I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. 55 



Chapter VIII. 

In Januarv, 1880, Mr. Farrow arranged 
a friendly meeting with tlie members ot'the 
Empire Rifle Club, and the Walnut Hill 
Rifle Association near Boston. An '' every- 
body's match'' was in progress at the time, 
and the New York club anticipated an 
enjoyable day's sport with their Boston 
friends. The day proved anything but 
fine for ofl^-hand shooting, the wind blow- 
ing quite a gale and heavy dark clouds 
rushing across the range, casting their 
shadows over the targets in a very perplex- 
ing manner. Notwithstanding these draw- 
backs the gentlemen of the Empire Club 
succeeded in making some good records, 
Mr. Farrow fairly outdoing himself on this 
day, making a score that was unprece- 
dented at this distance. We copy a para- 
graph from the '' Boston Globe " in refer- 
ence to the shooting. 



56 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

" Five to seven points of wind were used 
by the gentlemen, consequently, constant 
watching of windage and elevation was 
required. Mr. Farrow succeeded in making 
the most wonderful score on record ; after 
making a full score of 50 points, which has 
never been done before in a match except 
by himself at Creedmoor, in November last, 
he continued his shooting and scored 15 
consecutive bulls' eyes, a total of 75, never 
before achieved by an}^ rifleman in the 
world, and placing him positively as the 
King of all marksmen." 

The Spring of this year was rather a 
busy one for the National Rifle Associa- 
tion. The choice of the team to visit Ire- 
land to once more compete against the 
chosen members of the Irish Rifle Associa- 
tion at Dollymount, and, if possible, win 
another victory on foreign grounds, 
engaged their attention. 

The N. R. A., in a printed circular, 
promised to pay the expenses of three men 
whom they would nominate for the final 
competitions, provided the nominees retained 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 57 

their places on the team, up to the amount 
of $350 each. This liberal ofler proved 
quite tempting to a number of marksmen, 
and a spirited contest took place among the 
interested ones, the result of which was 
that Mr. W. M. Farrow was one of the 
nominated shooters by the N. R. A. and 
entered the competition lor the tinal selec- 
tion of men to go across the water. In the 
shooting oti' for places, with two scores only 
to count, Mr. Farrow wins second place, 
with a total of 216 and 208 respectively. 

The vo3'age across the Atlantic on the 
steamer was nothing new to him, and on 
landing at Queenstown his physical con- 
dition was in no wise impaired ; which was 
the case with some other members of the 
team, and good scores from the very start, 
came as if by magic from the muzzle of his 
rifle, which scores were happily sustained 
by him to the very end. Many tine scores 
were made by the members of the team 
during the practice at Dollymount betbre 
the actual match : for himself Mr. Far- 
row's score-book shows 216 on two difler- 



58 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

ent occasions. This last total will be found 
to vary two points, from the total that was 
telegraphed across from Dollymount, as the 
result of the last practice of the chosen six 
men, before the international match took 
place. For some reas(>n, known perhaps 
to those in charge of the team, a rather 
" smart showing " was given to the reporters 
in certain of the scores on that last practice 
day. The result of the match mav be 
some justification of the irregularity, but 
the writer of this volume condemns such 
practices in unqualified terms. 

The members of the team will long 
remember the courtesies and attentions that 
were showered upon them, on this visit to 
the Land of the Shamrock : their invitation 
to Trinity College and dining with the 
fellows of that memorable pile, their recep- 
tion by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 
his dining hall, and also the banquet given 
b}^ the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the enter- 
tainment provided for them b}^ the Ameri- 
can Consul ; even the boxes at the Opera 
House and other places of amusement were 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 59 



freely opened to the members of the team. 

The quarters of the team at the Shel- 
burne Hotel were of the ver}' best descrip- 
tion, but the riflemen nominated by tlie N. 
R. A. which had promised them their 
expenses to the amount of $350, found the 
$100, which only was given to them, but a 
drop in the bucket. The $100 was soon 
exhausted bv the very high charges of that 
hostelry. 

This fact of receiving but $100, where 
$350 was promised, was the occasion of a 
number of animated discussions among 
those interested in the matter, and was 
severely commented upon even by mem- 
bers of the team who were in no way ben- 
efitted by their membership. A standing 
joke at the table of the team was the tact 
that the bill of fare for dinner, in this Irish 
hotel, was printed in French and the waiters 
also were French ( I ) or at least they 
attempted the accent of the Frenchman in 
their endeavors to serve the company. If 
the bill of fare had been printed in Old 
Irish with the greatest amount of brogue 



6o HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

and blarne}^ it was voted by the team 
'twould have been more appropriate. 

x\fter the conckision of the international 
match, the Irish Rifle Association had their 
annual competition for prizes, mostly open 
to all comers, but at different ranges and 
under different conditions; among which 
was the competition for the " Spencer cup " 
and several other prizes. The conditions 
were lo shots at 800 yards. 

Mr. Farrow and Mr. Milner, of the Irish 
Rifle Association, making 49 each of the 
possible 50, their scores being an exact 
tie, were obliged to shoot oft\ in a 
series of consecutive shots over the same 
range. The prize was a beautiful silver 
biscuit cup presented by Mr. Johnson, of 
Dublin. 

Mr. Milner's flrst shot was a bull's eye. 
Mr. Farrow also followed with one, and so it 
ran up to the fifth shot. The attention of 
the spectators being called to this fact, the 
excitement w^as ver}^ keen. Mr. Farrow's* 
5th was a good "bull." Mr. Milner laid 
down mid some excitement, but through 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 6l 



some inadvertence in pulling or variation 
of the wind the red disc showed up as the 
result of his shot, thus giving the cup to 
his opponent. 



62 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



Chapter IX. 

The annual meeting of the British 
National Rifle Association at Wimbledon 
followed soon after the international match 
with the Irish, and the team, with some 
exceptions, proceeded there to join in the 
competitions. Part of them following the 
advice of old habitues of the range pro- 
cured from the Association the loan of tents 
and camped on the ground. There are a 
number of advantages in so doing, and it 
proved in this case no exception to the rule ; 
as the winners of valuable prizes were those 
members of the team who camped on the 
range ; while those who lodged in the town, 
had to take the cabs to the station, then the 
train to the city, were not in condition upon 
arriving at the grounds in the morning, to 
compete with those fresh and " early birds " 
who had remained all night, and had the 



now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 63 



morning to prepare their ammunition, and 
perform other small offices that required 
their attention. 

There are a number of valuable prizes 
offered to all comers by the x\ssociation 
every year. x\mong these are prizes which 
are open only to certain members of the 
Association, for instance, the Wimbledon 
cup ; this match consists of fifteen shots at 
1000 yards, to those who have won a prize 
of at least twenty pounds or more at some 
prior meeting of the Association. 

Having wou the "Albert" prize of one 
hundred pounds the year previous, Mr. 
Farrow's whole attention was given to the 
winning of the Wimbledon cup. The cup 
is a magnificent aftair, made by Elkington, 
of solid silver and gold. It consists of a 
ewer and salver. The salver is some i8 
inches or more in diameter, with a raised 
centre upon which sits a beautiful jug or 
ewer of some 12 inches in height, decorated 
upon the surface with raised figures of 
birds, animals, and human figures with faces 
of extreme beautv. The salver is the handi- 



64 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

work of an artist, and is in itself, a com- 
plete study, bearing as it does in the lower 
centre mythological pictures of the four 
elements, and on the raised rim a series of 
eight pictures, in has reliefs of the arts and 
sciences. The cost of the manufacture of 
this beautiful prize was one hundred pounds. 
No prize at Wimbledon is more coveted or 
sought after than this, as it is impossible to 
procure a salver and ewer of this pattern in 
any other way than by winning it at Wim- 
bledon ; the dies, tools and plates used 
in its manufacture are all controlled by the 
Rifle Association, and only one cup each 
3^ear is allowed to be made from them. 

We again resume Mr. P^arrow's narrative. — [Ed. 

After competing in a number of minor 
matches with some successes, winning 
second place in the first stage gf the Albert 
competition, with 116 points, and making 
34 in a possible 35 at 1000 yards in the 
Curtis and Harvey match, also taking 
second and third in the Martin Smith 
match, I now devoted my whole time and 
attention to watching the changes and con- 




Moss EMi^°- 



Salver for " Wimbledon Cup, 
England. 




Ewer for -^Wimbledon Cup," 
England. 



HOW I BKCAME A CRACK SHOT. 65 

ditions, and engaging in the pool shooting 
at 1000 yards, as preparatory practice tor 
this all important match. The competition 
in this match between the riflemen is so 
sharp, that the disadvantage of a bad begin- 
ning often throws out what otherwise would 
become a sure winner. There being but 
one prize, the necessity of starting with a 
bulTs eye is one of the points that needs 
special attention. The match is called in 
the morning at lo o'clock that no pool shoot- 
ing or previous practice can be indulged in 
by the contestants and, if possible, that all 
shall begin under the same conditions as 
nearly as it can be arranged ; thus showing 
each one wdiat should delight the heart of 
every marksman, that is, "a fair field and 
no favor." 

My practice and studies w^ere of the 
greatest benefit. The first bullet I fired 
lodged well in the bull, and with the match 
fairly begun the shots followed on faster 
and faster. The fluctuations of the wind 
and light were of such a variable charac- 
ter, the flags upon the range were so badl\' 



66 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

posted, it was almost impossible to follow 
with the vernier and wind gauge their 
changes, with such unerring judgment, but 
that a skip of the bull's eye was occasion- 
ally shown on the target. Up to the loth 
or nth shot I was leading the field by two 
or three points. A miscalculation of the 
force of the wind on the next trial resulted 
in an outer on the right- This gave the 
other marksmen renewed courage. Luck- 
ily for me I captured the bull's eye on the 
next shot, and with centre and bull then 
closed the score, having a total of 69 in a 
possible 75. 

Soon after the last shots were fired down 
the range, it was discovered that Farrow, 
Evans and Young, each had a total of 69 
points. The news of the tie ran through 
the camp, and when six o'clock was posted 
as the hour for shooting off the ties, 
the indications were, that a large crowd 
would be present to witness the contest. 
The rules of the Association in this match 
required that ties /// totals^ should be con- 
tested over the same range and decided by 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 67 

the total score of three shots ; if still a tie, then 
by single shots until the winner is decided. 

The afternoon of this day proved any- 
thing but an agreeable one. The light 
was hazy and clouds of smoke rolled up 
from the city, the wind coming from that 
direction ; later in the afternoon indications 
of a drizzle or Scotch mist were present. 
At 5 o'clock I repaired to the one thousand 
yard firing point, to engage if possible, in 
some pool shooting, and secure the eleva- 
tions and windage that would be necessary 
to use in the tie shots. I found a subscrip- 
tion match in progress, which I was not 
aware could be indulged in, with Messrs. 
Evans and Young hard at work show- 
ing up bull's eyes and centres with 
great regularity. The targets by this 
time were almost totally obscured, and it 
was by dint of hard labor and close atten- 
tion that even the scorers could make out 
the signals of the value of each of the shots 
as the targets rose and fell. 

The targets at Wimbledon are arranged 
on the window^ sash principle. The target 



68 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



proper being in position, a shot is tired, the 
marker, seeing the hole that the bul- 
let has left in the target, places upon 
the ''dumni}-'' target, which is in the pit 
before him, a large disc of the proper color 
which indicates the value of the shot, in 
its approximate position on the target. He 
pushes up this dummy when the actual 
target drops into the pit, where a 
small disc, of some 8 or lo inches in diam- 
eter, is secured upon it by a catch fastened 
through the hole made by the bullet. The 
target is then run up and the marksman 
with his glass or telescope, sees the exact 
location of the bullet hole. 

I procured a ticket of entrance' to this 
subscription match that was in progress. 
It consisted of 7 shots under the usual con- 
ditions. My first two shots were bull's 
€yes, then a 4, then a bull's eye, another 4 
was shown for my fifth shot. Some 
changes in the wind necessitated a slight 
alteration of the elevation. Lyir^g down 
again, and with careful aim, I fired the 6th 
shot. There was no response from the 



now I liECAMi: A CRACK SIIO'i\ 69 



target. It was a clean miss, but whether 
the bullet had gone above or below, to the 
right or left, it was impossible tor me to tell. 
Tliere were but Hve minutes left before six 
o'clock, the hour set to begin the shooting 
ofY the tie. The news ran along the line 
"Farrow has made a miss/' An anxious 
feeling went over the American representa- 
tives that were watching the shooting and 
longing for the success of their champion. 

With some anxiety I prepared for my 
final shot. Thinkincr the matter over as 
coolly as possible, I decided that the bullet 
had struck short of the target. Making 
the necessary corrections of elevation, I 
proceeded to the firing point and after care- 
fully taking aim, pulled the trigger. All 
eyes were now turned upon the target, but 
not a movement was made in that direc- 
tion. A dozen glasses were brought to 
bear, but no sign of life was visible. The 
bulFs eye still stood squarely up and seemed 
as if possessed with no idea of disappear- 
ing into the pit. I went back to mv seat 
and sat down to think the matter over. 



70 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

The drizzle by this time had turned into 
a veritable shower. Borrowing an umbrella 
for protection from the wet, I fastened it to 
the back of a chair and proceeded to clean 
m}^ rifle. The officer in charge of the 
match then cried out, '^ Prepare to shoot oft' 
the tie for the Wimbledon cup." I exam- 
ined my veneer. The elevations appeared 
all right. I looked again at the conditions ; 
the wind I am sure was at " zero," blowing 
directly from "six o'clock," I could not 
have missed that target to the right or left. 
There was quite six feet on either side of 
the centre-line of the bull. The fault must 
be in the elevation. I was either too hi^fh 
or too low, but which? The wind seemed 
to lull in force, then, I reasoned, "the bul- 
let has dropped short," and I once more 
raised the veneer and repaired to the flring 
point. The light, w^iich before the shower 
was of the worst description, had now 
become simpl}^ miserable ; indeed the target 
could hardly be discerned even with the 
telescope, and the marking discs as they 
appeared on the dumm}' target, were so 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 7 1 

indistinct, the contestants intimated to the 
officer in charge, that it was impossible to 
shoot the tie. He repHed, ''My orders are 
expHcit, the tie must be shot." 

The assignment of targets being such 
that each one was changed from where our 
practice in the subscription match had 
placed us, mine being the one on the 
extreme right and was so near the edge of 
the butt or embankment thrown up behind 
the target to stop the bullets, it seemed to 
me the most indistinct of them all. 

Finding no postponement could be had, 
I reclined upon the damp grass for the 
opening shot. It was a long while before 
I could discern through the sights a tiny 
gray speck, full five-eighths of a mile 
away. With a steady pressure upon the 
trigger, I sped the bullet on its flight. 
The sergeant who was scoring for this tar- 
get, glued his eye, as it were, to the tele- 
scope. With a breathless exclamation he 
cried, "You are on." The target had 
begun to move ; up rose the dummy with a 
slow, majestic movement. There it stood, 



72 now 1 hi:ca:\iic a crack shot. 

apparently as gray and dusky as the driv- 
ing rain. No sign of a disc, either bhick 
or white, could be discovered with the 
naked eye. The otlicer with his field 
glasses was watching for the signal, and 
as he could not discover the mark he cried, 
" What is it? " " What is it? " With a quick 
movement I turned from the hring point 
and overhearing his remark, cried, with 
some feeling, '^ It is a bulTs eye." ''So it 
is, so it is, Farrow 5," was the reply, and 
the score-keeper put down that magical 
figure. 

Hastily reloading, I moved quicklv to 
the tiring point again, anxious to take 
advantage of the conditions before any 
change could take place. The red disc 
rose in response to tlie second shot, scoring 
4. As I retired to my seat to clean the 
rifle for the last shot, one of mv friends 
wdiispered, ''Evans has closed for 9 points 
in his total ; Major Young has a 5 and a 2 
for two shots." I repaired again to the 
tiring point, and not knowing the position 
upon the target of tlie 4 I had just made, I 



IKJW I IJECAMi: A CRACK SHOT. 73 



could make no calculation or alteration for 
it. The spotting disc could not be seen 
even with the most powerful telescope, and 
the rain seemed to be coming down, if 
possible, in larger streams. After a long 
time spent in trying to find the "small gray 
speck," again I fired ; this time the dummy 
target rose more slowly than before, but 
the officer discovered the disc marking a 3, 
called the "Magpie," bringing my total up 
to 12 points for the three shots. Major 
Young had yet one shot to fire ; if it was 
landed in the bull's eye he would have 
another chance, if in any other circle the 
prize would be mine. The down-pour of 
rain now nearly ceased, the drops began 
to come with less force and regularity. I 
think the major discovered it w^as lighting 
up a little, and in a few minutes more a 
better view^ of the target would be possible ; 
he seemed favored in this respect as, after 
lying down and taking a long and careful 
aim, his gun missed fire, necessitating the 
retiring again to his ammunition stand and 
preparing his rifle anew, but with all his 



74 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

care and painstaking a 3 was the responsive 
signal for his final etlbrt. 

Cheers and hearty congratulations were 
then showered upon America's representa- 
tive, and both Major Young and Mr. Evans 
shook hands and warmly congratulated the 
winner. I may say it was one ot' the 
proudest moments of my whole experience ; 
to stand on British soil and be the winner 
in such a remarkably close and exciting 
competition, with crowds of spectators of 
both nationalities watching with interested 
feelings the entire competition. 

Despite the rain and the drizzly weather, 
I felt light at heart and extremely happy, 
although wet to the skin and in some dan- 
o-er of takino' an iniiuenza. 




From National Rifle Association, 
England. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 75 



Chapter X. 

It was at this meeting an unfortunate 
afiair occurred to which, in 4 measure, 
may be attributed the defeat of that scratch 
team of Americans by the English at Wim- 
bledon. Mr. Farrow was as anxious and 
as interested to have the match come oft' 
successfully as any of the members could 
well be, from the fact that he knew Sir 
Henr}' had anticipated the aftair, and 
desired a competition against the Ameri- 
cans, and had a selected team from the 
best marksmen England could muster. 

We do not think these pages a proper 
place for the discussion or re-opening of 
that unpleasant aftair, but suftice it to say, 
it would seem unfortunate that the person 
who was handling the American marks- 
men, did not try to heal any dissension that 
did occur between two members of the 



70 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

team, especially if one of the parties was 
himself, and some personal benefit to him 
should accrue from any defection. 

Why, on that Saturday morning, did he 
not g.o and see Mr. Farrow? A few words 
w^ith him w^ould undoubtedly have healed 
the breach, even though his continued 
postponement of the shooting oft' the tie, 
did result in obtaining for him the cov^eted 
first prize without the ordeal of shooting 
the three shots, which the rules of the 
x\ssociation demanded. Mr Farrow actu- 
ally sacrificed his shooting in the competi- 
tion with the "any rifle'' for the Associa- 
tion cup at 600 yards to please the ''gentle- 
man," and went to the team practice at 
Honuslow. A continued sacrifice of one's 
self-respect in any measure will become, 
after a while, a monotonous affair, and so 
it proved in this case. The last grain to 
be swallowed was too much, and it resulted 
in Mr. Farrow's resignation from the team 
the day before the match. 

A notice was posted by the Association 
that winners of first prizes and prizes of 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 77 

tvventv pounds or more could have them 
presented on the grand stand in the after- 
noon of the tbllowing Saturday. Each 
winner had to give notice of his intention 
to be present for the proper arrangement 
of the programme. It was noised through 
the camp that the Prince and Princess of 
Wales would personally present the prizes. 

Prize winners were notified to appear at 
the office of the Association at one o'clock. 
The line was formed promptly at the hour. 
A detachment of Highlanders in uniform 
were acting as a body-guard to the Prince 
of Wales, and soon after marched to the 
front of the cottage in which the royal 
party were taking lunch preparatory to the 
ordeal of the presentation. It was with 
great difficult}^ the police could open a line 
through the immense crowd to the inside 
of the enclosure that contained a raised 
dais, which the winners must ascend to 
receive their prizes from royal hands. 

A sea of heads and faces, closelv packed 
and commingled, some hundred yards in 
extent, proved a novel sight to several of 



78 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

the winners who for the first time had to 
appear before such an audience, and they 
felt no Httle trepidation as they came forward 
to receive their prizes. Mr. Farrow was 
introduced to their Royal .Highnesses by 
Earl Stanhope. 

We quote from the London Times : " Mr. 
Farrow, of the United States, in coming for- 
forward to receive the "any rifle Wimbledon 
cup," was introduced to her Royal Highness, 
the Princess of Wales, by Earl Stanhope." 

With hat in hand he ascended the steps 
to the platform and gracefully bowed at the 
introduction. As the Princess delivered 
the valuable plate to his keeping. His 
Royal Highness remarked, "We congratu- 
late you, Mr. Farrow, upon your success." 
Thanking the Prince, in reply, for his kind- 
ness, Mr. Farrow answered that it was very 
agreeable to come to Wimbledon and win so 
valuable a prize, but far more pleasing to 
receive it from such regal hands. 

"Mr. Farrow was loudly cheered as he 
carried ofl' his handsome prize." — London 
Graphic. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 79 

Mr. Farrow soon after sailed for the United 
States, arriving in time to make good prep- 
aration to attend the Fall meeting of the 
National Rifle i\ssociation at Creedmoor. 

The only competitions on the programme 
for the small bore match rifle were the 
"Champions" match, ten shots at 200, 600 
and 1000 yards, of which Mr. Farrow was 
the winner in 1878; and the "Wimbledon 
cup " match, contested for with thirty shots at 
1000 yards. 

This Wimbledon cup is an immense urn- 
like aflair of solid silver, presented to the 
American Rifle Association by the British 
Rifle Association, to be competed for each 
year at Creedmoor. Thus a winner of the 
cup could hold it but twelve months, unless 
he was fortunate enough to make a suc- 
ceeding winning. 

In the Champions match, at the conclu- 
sion of the 200 and 600 yards stages, Mr. 
Farrow was leading by one -pointy all other 
competitors. 

But this year of 1880 was a memorable 
one, from the fact that there was considera- 



8o HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

ble agitation by certain rifle shots, who 
forced their ideas upon the National Rifle 
Association, whereb}^ certain members 
were to be dubbed "Professionals," and 
barred from competition over the ''Moor." 
A number of these gentlemen were present 
and competed in this match, and made a 
great deal of fuss and talk. At the looo 
yards range the cry of a certain one was, 
"Anything to beat Farrow," and the perse- 
cution was carried to such an extent, that 
during the necessary arrangement of rifle 
and ammunition, to meet the conditions pre- 
vailing at this stage of the match, Mr. 
Farrow's attention was so diverted from the 
prevailing wind and liglit, he started with 
an elevation on his vernier sight some two or 
three points too high, and was lucky indeed 
to drop into third position in the grand 
total, which gave him the bronze medal of 
the Association. The wind-up match of 
the meeting was for the Wimbledon cup, 
and Mr. Farrow's determination to make, 
if possible, a win in this match, and his 
experiences of the day before with the 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 8l 

marksman referred to, all contributed to 
strengthen the cool resolve to hold no inter- 
course with anyone, that might Have a ten- 
dency to divert his attention, from the actual 
conditions prevailing during the shooting. 
The match was called immediately after 
the lunch hour. The wind was blowing 
brisklv from the seven to eight o'clock 
quarter of the range, necessitating an 
allowance on the wind gauge of from six 
to seven points. 

Starting with a bull's eye, as did but 
four others out of the twenty-seven com- 
petitors in the match, the contest after a 
few shots had been fired narrowed down 
to nearly the same gentlemen whose calcu- 
lations at the beginning were so uniformly 
verified. The elevations, owing to the 
increasing velocity of the wind, required 
careful attention. From an elevation of 
206 they were carried down, down to 
19814^, still holding the bull's eye with but 
one or two exceptions in the first fifteen 
shots ; the wind then began to lull and 
decreased in force, thus causing an upward 
6 



82 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

turn to the elevations, and before the finish 
of the thirty shots the vernier readings 
were 203. 

The strength of the wind, as it blew from 
left to right, was a matter of much impor-- 
tance. It brought many to grief who were 
unable to detect its variations ; the wind 
allowance on the sight necessitated changes 
of from two to six points, and as a matter 
of record which the target here shows, 
of the thirty shots fired but two of them 
were outside of the bulFs eye, due to mis- 
taken judgment as to the force of the wind. 
The other three which skipped the charmed 
circle were owing to changes in the eleva- 
tions which were not corrected before the 
shots were fired. 

This total of 145 out of a possible 150 
stands the highest on record to this day in 
a match under the same rules. 

The news of this score was a surprise to 
many who had considered Mr. Farrow's 
abilities limited to the shorter ranges at 
Creedmoor. 




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HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 8 



O 



Chapter XI. 

In answer to many pressing invitations 
from different clubs and societies, Mr. Fai*- 
row decided to make a tour to some of the 
principal cities and, if possible, enliven the • 
interest in rifle shooting. 

The first stop was made at Pittsburg, 
where an interesting shooting was had 
both at long and short range. 

From Pittsburg to Wheeling, West Vir- 
ginia. This club was entirely an off-hand 
rifle club and included some very fine 
shooters. The best record made at this 
range by Mr. Farrow was three successive 
scores often shots each on the "Massachu- 
setts target," the total of each score being 
III, making a grand total of 333 in thirty 
consecutive shots. 

The dimensions of this target are identi- 
cal with the Creedmoor, with the excep- 
tion of the addition of lines inside the 



§4 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

ordinary three and four rings of the Creed- 
moor target of 200 yards. The highest 
count on this "Massachusetts target" is 
twelve, eleven and twelve being in the 
eight inch bull's eye, and the circles 
recede in numbers about tw^o inches apart, 
out to the "inner" line. 

From here Mr. Farrow w^ent to Spring- 
field, Ohio. There being no rifle club at 
this place, a meeting was arranged with 
some of the leading sportsmen and an 
attempt made to organize one. 

Dayton, Ohio, was the next stopping 
place. There a pleasant incident occurred 
an account of which we copy from the 
Journal of that town. 

" A Journal reporter was called into 
Charles E. Schneider's shooting range yes- 
terday afternoon and requested to shoot 
with a party of the gunners of this city and 
a Mr. Bates, a newspaper man from Lima. 
There was a sly twinkle in Charley Wil- 
liams' eye as the "reporter accepted the 
invitation, and Charley Schneider hid him- 
self behind a screen to laugh. There were 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 85 

live or six men in the contest, and they 
bancred the bull's eve in a manner that 
would have startled Dr. Carver. Mr. 
Bates, strangely for a newspaper man, was 
an excellent marksman and rang the little 
triangle almost every shot. Some of the 
spectators gazed incredulously, and Char- 
ley William.s actually laughed with both 
eyes. After the shoot was over it was 
found that Mr. Rcites had the best score. 
Charley Schneider said the bo3's had 
caught a tartar, and advised them not to 
shoot against him. But they tried another 
round with the same result as at first. The 
marksmen scanned the strange arrival from 
head to foot and found him to be a medium 
sized gentleman, very aft able, and with 
none of the bluster of a champion. He 
wears a handsome mustache and side 
whiskers, and light hair. Pale, intense, 
yet pleasant, he would have been taken for 
a calm, shrewd business man, and the last 
one in the world for a sportsman. 

^ Now, gentlemen, allow^ me to make 
you acquainted with Mr. W. M. Farrow, 



86 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



the champion rifle shot of the world,' said 
Mr. Schneider, and then the reporter 
opened his eyes. The pleasant, subdued 
gentleman was not Mr. Bates, of Lima, 
but the same Milton Farrow who had 
saved the reputation of the American Rifle 
Team at Dollymount, had won more medals 
and testimonials for marksmanship than 
any other man in the country, and who had 
defeated the English, French and Irish on 
their own grounds, and according to their 
own tactics." 

Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, St. 
Louis, and Springfield, 111., were each 
visited in turn, and many enjoyable meet- 
ings were had with the marksmen. At 
this latter place a meeting of the rifle club 
was called in honor of Mr. Farrow's 
appearance among them. So early in the 
season the firing points at the range were 
out of order with the exception of that at 
the I ICG yards; at this extreme distance 
the bull's eye appears one of the tiniest 
black specks and barely discernible. It 
was a pleasant day and the conditions were 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 87 

verv favorable lor tine shooting. Catchin:L;* 
the correct elevation on the start, Mr. Far- 
row put in four successive bulFs eyes. The 
next shot was a close four : then followed 
eight successive bull's eyes, when owing to 
a radical change in the conditions, the last 
two shots resulted in but four and three. 
The total, however, was sevent3'-one in a 
possible seventy-five which is, as far as we 
can learn, the highest on record for tit'teen 
shots at this extreme distance. From 
Springfield to Chicago and Milwaukee, 
then Detroit, and from there straight home. 

On this trip Mr. Farrow was instrumental 
in establishino" a number of riHe clubs, both 
at long and short range, and the many 
gentlemen and sportsmen that he met whose 
friendship he acquired, will form a pleasant 
reminder for years to come. 

Mr. Farrow having been absent so long 
during the season of 1880, his off-hand 
shootincr became somewhat neolected, 
especially the German, with heavy rifles and 
hair-triggers, he also holding the " King's 
medal" and consequently first position, or 



88 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

place, in this style of shooting; all this 
induced a desire on the part of some 
devotees of this sport, pretty well advanced 
in the art, to arrange a match with the 
champion, and, if possible, wrest the honor 
and position from his keeping. It was 
quietly made up, a subscription match, 
entrance fee ten dollars each, one hundred 
shots on the German target of three-fourth 
inch rings. There were eight competitors 
and each one felt at least the ability to carry 
off jirst or second. 

The match was contested at Union Hill 
on the twenty-second of February, 1881. 
The entrance money was divided into forty, 
thirty, twenty and ten per cent. Some 
very remarkable shooting was the result of 
this match. The bull's eye or black at 
which the aim is taken, measures twelve 
inches in diameter. The ring on the outer 
edge of this bull's eye counts eighteen, and 
so inward to the very centre, which is one 
and one-half inches in diameter, counting 
twenty-five, the highest possible to be 
attained in one shot. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 89 

The match was tallied in scores of ten 
shots. Mr. Farrow's totals are as follows : 
210, 220, 225, 220, 220, 223, 211, 222, 
217, 228. The grand total is 2,196, lead- 
ing the next competitor by 62 rings. 

Mr. Farrow's lowest shots in this com- 
petition were three seventeens, thus miss- 
ing the twelve-inch black or biilFs eye but 
three times in the 100 shots. 

Learning in the following July of the 
bi-annual meeting of the Northwestern 
"Schutzenbund" in St. Paul, Minnesota, 
and receiving some letters of invitation 
from members of the society, Mr. Farrow 
determined, if possible, to organize a team 
and visit the Western city ; it was through 
his efforts that the team was made up, 
although going out merely as a member 
thereof. 

The shooting was under the usual con- 
ditions of a German "Fest," heavy rifles, 
hair triggers, peep and globe sights; hand 
rests also were allowed with which to sup- 
port the rifles. There were special prizes 
offered for the marksman that should com- 



90 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

plete on the "Point Target*' the first one 
hundred points, also the second hundred 
and third hundred. 

The honors in this style of shooting had 
generally been carried oil' by a certain 
Western marksman, and it was decided 
among the members of our team that some 
of us should try and win these premiums. 
It is usual for every marksman to be present 
on the first day of these meetings and make 
an attempt to win the medal for the first 
one hundred points. Target accommoda- 
tions were limited, which frequently occa- 
sioned much unavoidable crowding and 
jostling in the endeavors of the marksmen 
to reach the firing points. It was evident 
that the shooter who could accomplish the 
greatest number of shots at the target in a 
certain time would be quite sure to win the 
first medal, and it was apparent that any 
rifleman who could induce his friends to, 
give way for him, would have greatly the 
advantage over others that had to take their 
regular turn. It happened on this first day 
that the corner of the shootincr house occu- 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



pied by the Eastern marksmen was very 
much crowded : discovering this disadvan- 
tage after a l^ew shots, Mr. Farrow moved 
his traps to the far end of the building 
where a less number of marksmen were 
competing ; here was found a number of 
the most prominent Western shooters busy 
at work and quite far ahead in their scores, 
occasioned b\' their more rapid shooting. 
Their lead was too great to be overcome 
for the first one hundred points, but the 
second one hundred and also the third one 
hundred w^ere first attained b}^ Mr. Farrow, 
w^ho gradually gained on these gentlemen 
until, w^hen his third one hundred was 
announced, it was some half an hour or 
more afterwards before the next shooter 
completed the same number of points. 

The team match was a spirited affair in 
which the team from the East won first 
prize ; and the members of the team in the 
individual matches also won many fine 
prizes, Mr. Farrow^ taking first on the 
Creedmoor target, with a fine forty-seven 
in a possible fifty, the score ending up with 



92 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

six bull's eyes. This ended the shooting 
at St. Paul, the remainder of the team 
returning to the East well satisfied with 
their excursion to the Western city. 
Intending to take a trip through the 
extreme Northwest to test and introduce a 
new "magazine" rifle, Mr. Farrow started 
for Montana. After stopping at several 
minor points on the route the end of the 
railroad was reached at a place called 
Glendive, on the Yellowstone river. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 93 



Chapter XII. 

Here Mr. Farrow will tell us of his movements. 

I arrived at Glendive quite late in the 
afternoon. I had detected along the rail- 
way a gradual loss of the comforts of civili- 
zation, especially in the hotels and at the 
dining houses at the stations where we 
stopped to refresh the wants of the inner 
man, but I was hardly prepared for the 
sudden change or " drop " that I met with 
at Glendive. From the point where the 
cars stopped, one could see in the distance 
a few scattering huts and houses with can- 
vas roofs, and sprinkled here and there 
some tents. Horses and men were stand- 
ing around and so mingled or mixed up 
together that the idea struck my mind 
each one was apparently in readiness for 
rapid flight, if necessary, to elude the 
descent of some band of savages. We 
were in fact on the verge of civilization . I 



94 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



was recalled to my senses by the familiar 
tones: ''Have a hack? have a hack?'' 
Quickly giving my check to the driver, I 
mounted the buckboard and we started 
for the "Grand Pacific Hotel," which the 
driver so loudly proclaimed to be first class 
in every respect. We drew up in front of 
a low lo2f house with a canvas roof, throuofh 
the open door of which I could see a bar 
with the shining bottles and glasses behind 
it. It occurred to me that the driver had 
stopped to take a drink ; with a gentle 
shake of the head and an admonitory wink, 
I intimated to him I did not care to 
" take anything," but he soon dispelled my 
delusion on the subject as he shouted out, 
'' Here you are, sir. Grand Pacific Hotel." 
It was with feelings of great disgust that I 
stepped down from the buckboard and 
advanced to the door-step of this one story 
'' Grand Pacific." I was about to enter the 
door when the driver of the buckboard 
shouted, "Fifty cents, if you please." 
"Oh!" said I, "that is all right, put it in 
the bill." He replied that he had no con- 



HOW I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. 95 

nection with the house, he wanted the 
money down. Satisfying him, I entered 
the building. Imagine if you can a log 
house, some twenty or thirty feet long, 
with a bar nearly one-half the length in 
the back centre, with doors on the right 
leading to the dining-room and kitchen, 
and on the left to the sleeping rooms, all 
under a cloth roof, with rough rafters and 
boards overhead, no laths or plastering or 
paper of any kind to stop the rude drafts 
of the cool night wind. 

''Will you have some supper?" was 
asked me by a gentleman whom I supposed 
to be the proprietor. Assenting to this 
invitation, I followed him to the dining- 
room : here the same primitive character 
pertained to every furnishing of this depart- 
ment. Tables of rough boards nailed 
together, without cloth or napkins, iron 
knives and forks, deeply pitted with rust, 
stationary board seats running along the 
sides of each table, was sufficient to 
thoroughly impress a stranger from the 
East, or, as they term a man from that 



96 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

locality, a " tender-foot," with the idea that 
he was travelling in a dream and the illu- 
sion might soon pass away, or at least he 
hoped that it would. Once more I was 
roused from dreamland by the voice of a 
female of some two hundred pounds weight 
or more, whose foreign accent, as she cried, 
"Hash or smash, hot or cowld?" betrayed 
at once her nationality. Scarcely knowing 
what I replied, I attempted to realize as 
much as possible the actual state of society 
into which I had fallen. The "hash or 
smash, the hot or cowld," were placed 
before me, but what it was I cannot state 
to this day, although I was forced to eat 
something to maintain existence. On leav- 
ing the dining-room, the person whose 
kindly invitation I had accepted, remarked 
to me, "Fifty cents, if you please." This I 
handed him without a murmur and inquired 
if I could have a room to myself. 

"You are mighty lucky if you get a bed 
all to yourself to-night. We are plum full." 

" Well ! Do you arrange for the 
lodgings? " 



now I i^ecamp: a crack shot. 97 

"No." "You will have to see 'Sleepy 
Bill ' about: that ; he runs the beds." 

And this is the arrangement of the 
"Grand Pacific," I mentally ejaculated as 
I moved to the door. Soon I heard the 
puffing of a steamer on the river. Not 
wishing to pass more time in Glendive than 
was necessary I went down to the landing 
and engaged passage for Miles City. I 
was fortunate enough to find an unoccupied 
berth. The next morning we started up 
the river. The passage to Miles City is 
usually accomphshed in two or three days, 
but the water being so very low it was 
nearly a week before we arrived at the end 
of the journe3^ 

The Merchants Hotel at this pljice was 
indeed a "haven of rest." The few days 
passed in this city were agreeabl}^ spent in 
the company of such gentlemen as my 
business relations brought me in contact 
with, some of whom were ardent sportsmen 
and took great interest in rifle shooting at 
targets as well as game. 

I had a great desire to see what sort of 



98 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

practical shooting at a 200 yards' target, 
scouts and hunters b}" profession, could 
make with their favorite weapons ; and an 
invitation was given out to all that desired, 
to attend a competition at 200 yards on the 
following^ afternoon, to be held bv a cele- 
brated rifle shot from the East, on the 
vacant lot near the brewery. Quite a 
large crowd of teamsters, hunters, scouts 
and ranchmen, with a sprinkling of officers 
from Fort Keough, were on hand to wit- 
ness and take part in the shooting. The 
target was of the regular Creedmoor pat- 
tern for 200 yards, four feet wide and six 
feet high, with eight inch bull's eye. After 
a few preparatory shots the practice was 
begun, and in many cases did the hunters 
and scouts astonish the celebrated shot and 
themselves, at the ease and frequency with 
which they could iniss^ not only the bull's 
eye, but the entire target. 

The sheriff' of the county was the only 
one to make an average of centres in ten 
shots, off'-hand. I here learned for the 
first time that the hunter and scout of books 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 99 

and novels was a far different creature from 
the hunter and scout of the plains. 

This latter person, in a majority of the 
cases, was a most ordinary looking person- 
age, and invariably if a chance for a shot 
presented itself and there was no conven- 
ient stump or rock, tree or bush to rest his 
rifle against, a kneeling position was 
assumed, or one flat upon the ground with 
both elbows resting ; there was none of 
that high, standing up position, with elbow 
aimed at the rising sun, left arm extended 
along the barrel with the '^freezing" of the 
rifle at the object aimed at. Not at all. 
In its place was the low, crawling, pains- 
taking "Stalker," who hesitated not, to get 
every advantage over the object of pursuit. 
Even to fire at a prairie dog, forty yards 
distant, did I see these noble hunters and 
scouts down on their knees to take a rest, 
and miss the little fellow at that. 

Having business at Fort Buford it was 
with feelings of regret I left Miles City 
behind, I had experienced the kindest 
treatment from the sportsmen there, and the 



lOO HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

gentlemen at the. Fort, whose quarters I 
had visited and whose hospitalities I had 
enjoyed. 

Fort Buford is a trading station, situated 
at the junction of the Yellowstone and 
Missouri rivers. I was detained some days 
waiting for a steamboat that would stop 
here on its way to Fort Benton, the head 
of navigation on the Missouri river, which 
point I was desirous of making as early in 
the season as possible, to avoid the snow 
storms that almost invariably occur in the 
stage trip over the mountains. The steamer 
General Terry soon put in an appearance, 
and I was comfortably quartered by the 
clerk, who knew me very well b}^ reputa- 
tion and expressed great pleasure in being 
able to make my acquaintance. '^ We will 
have some rare fun going up the river. 
We shall meet with plenty of buffalo and 
deer," he remarked. ^^ Nothing could suit 
me better," and we both set out for the 
supper table. 

At this season of the year the water in 
the Missouri is at a very low ebb, and 



HOW I 1>ECA3IE A CRACK SHOT. lOI 

steamboats in the carrying trade up that 
stream, travel very carefulh' and only 
during the day, frequently getting stuck 
on sand bars for hours, and having to push 
or '' pole " themselves as they call it, over 
or away from the obstruction, by the means 
of spars attached to the forward part of the 
boat, worked by a steam capstan or " Nig- 
ger'' as it is technically called on board. 

At the end of the first week I began to feel 
a little anxious to catch a glimpse of the but- 
falo or deer promised me by the clerk, and 
on intimating to him the fact, he expressed 
great surprise at our not having seen any. 
It was seldom on a trip up the river they 
did not see many buffalo, either crossing the 
river at some narrow place or wallowing* 
in the mud at the river banks. The boat 
being heavily laden our passage up the shal- 
low water was so slow we were overtaken by 
one or two steamboats coming up behind. 

An amusing incident happened at this 
point which might be interesting to some 
of mv readers, which I will trv to relate 
exactlv as it occurred. 



I02 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



The General Terry was slowly crawling 
over a sand bar as the steamer Penina 
canie pntiing along, loaded with a detach- 
ment of troops and some government mate- 
rial, destined for a point farther up the 
river. Sticking fast to the bay, her captain 
signalled our craft, lowered a boat and 
came on board. Accompanying him was 
a tall, dark personage with a rifle in one 
hand and a bag of tools in the other. He 
ascended to the saloon deck, familiarlv 
addressed the clerk, who answered with 
the salutation : 

'' How are you, Cherokee Jim? '' 

''Well, I'm movin\" 

"So I see,'' answered the clerk. " Bag 
and baggage too, hev?'' 

''Well,'* he replied, " I was in a hurry to git 
up the river and thought Fd change boats." 

Our lamented President's story of "swap- 
ping horses wiiile crossing the stream '' 
occurred to my mind at the moment of 
hearing this conversation, but I said nothing. 

We soon steamed on our way up the 
river, leaving the Penina sticking fast on 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. IO3 

the bar. It was a beautiful afternoon, 
scarcely a cloud in sight, and the passen- 
gers were out on deck enjoying the scenery 
which was quite rugged at this point of the 
river. Cherokee Jim, I learned afterwards, 
was a half-breed, well known on the Mis- 
souri by all the steamboat men, and vvas 
considered a fair scout and an excellent 
shot ; but of a surly disposition when in his 
cups and " half seas over." He had brought 
his magazine rifle on deck and seemed 
stimulated with a desire to exhibit to the 
passengers his skill in shooting. After 
firing a shot or two he was interrupted by the 
clerk, who w^ent up to him and remarked : 

"You think you can shoot some, don't 
you, Jim? " 

" Well, I reckon I ain't afraid to tackle 
anythin' on the Missouri." 

" Oh pooh : " said the clerk, " We have 
got a man on board who shoots birds flying, 
with a rifle ball." 

"That's a chance shot," said Cherokee 
Jim. "No man can hit birds with a bullet 
right along." 



I04 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

''Nonsense," retorted the clerk. "I tell 
you we have ; " and turning to me, he said, 
''Say I Mr. Farrow, w^here is your rifle?" 
''There is no use showing my rifle by the 
side of this one the gentleman has got," was 
my answer as I stepped forward. 

"What is vour p'un ? " I asked of the 
half-breed. '' A magazine? " 
"Yes, and a better gun never spit lead''' 

'' Let me see it? " 

He handed me the piece with the remark 
that it w^as loaded. I examined the gun 
carefully, tried the pull of the trigger. 

''It goes easy," he said. I remarked 
that "it was all right." 

We were standing by the side of the 
boat well forward on the saloon deck ; two 
boxes of empt}^ beer bottles were in the 
corner formed by the railing. I intimated 
to one of the passengers that if he would 
throw in the air an empty beer bottle I 
would try to break it. With an inquiring 
look at the clerk, \\\\o nodded his head in 
answer, the gentleman pulled out the bot- 
tle, and with a long sweep of the arm gave 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. IO5 

it a toss in the air ; the bottle rose some 
live or six feet above the level of our heads, 
and as it paused for an instant in turning 
for its fall, I caught a quick aim through 
the sights and fired. The bottle flew into 
a thousand pieces. 

" A chance shot I a chance shot I " cried 
Cherokee Jim, who had expected I would 
shoot at the bottle as it floated in the w^ater. 

"There's another ketridge in that gun; 
give him another one," he remarked, very 
quickly. ''I will throw it up," said the 
clerk, whereupon he took up a bottle and 
with a quick jerk threw it almost straight 
into the air. Having practiced at breaking 
glass balls with a rifle at home, I was 
'' well on " to such shots as the clerk gave 
me in this instance, and this bottle shared 
the fate of the preceding one. 

"Have you another cartridge?" I asked 
of the Cherokee. 

"Yes, yes," he remarked, somewhat 
excitedly, and he handed me two. I 
loaded tlie rifle, one shot in the magazine 
and the other in the chamber. 



I06 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

"Let me throw up one?" said Cherokee, 
and he stepped to the box where the bottles 
were and drew out two^ one in each hand. 
I "dropped," as they say out West, on his 
idea, and was prepared. 

"Here you go!" he cried: "One, two, 
three," and up went one bottle immediately 
followed by the other. The first one went 
up at an angle of about forty-five degrees; 
this I was prepared for, and catching good 
aim it was broken almost instantly. The 
other bottle had apparently slipped some- 
what from his grasp and did not ascend as 
high in the air as was anticipated, but 
quickly began to fall ; by a rapid move- 
ment of the lever, I threw out the empty 
shell and inserted the loaded cartridge w-ith 
the return motion, and at the same time 
following the dropping glass-ware, I 
instinctively pulled the trigger, shattering 
the empty beer receptacle into fragments 
only a foot above the water. A hearty 
round of applause from the passengers and 
crew ensued, at the conclusion of which 
the Cherokee, who actually looked fale at 



HOW 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. IO7 

the successful breaking of the bottles, 
shouted out, " By Gee, pard, give us your 
hand : let's take a drink, what'll you hev? " 
And without more ado, as it was impossi- 
ble to get away from the enthused scout, 
we all repaired to the store-room where 
each partook of the fluid of that character 
which had tilled the bottles we had just 
destroyed. The Cherokee was never tired 
of repeating : '^Well, that vjas shooting,*' 
whenever any allusion to my skill with the 
rifle was made the subject of conversation. 

Our voyage up the river continued as 
slow^ and tedious as before. At the end of 
fourteen days from the time of my entry on 
the boat, we had ascended the river as far 
as was possible to proceed, owing to the 
low state of the water. The point on the 
river at which we were forced to land was 
some one hundred and seventy odd miles 
from Fort Benton, and one hundred and 
nineteen miles nearly due North from the 
river to Fort Assiniboine. 

On the morning of the day when the 
captain decided we could proceed no 



I08 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

further, he informed me of the fact and 
intimated that I should be Ibrced to hind 
with the freight or go back down the river. 
Lookmg ashore to the river bank, "I 
could see no signs of habitation, no houses 
or tents of any kind, but far up from the 
river, near where the bluft^ rises so abruptly, 
was the resting place of two squatters, who 
depended upon their hunting, and also 
their w^ood cutting ability to supply the • 
passing steamers with fuel, for their liveli- 
hood. I remarked to the captain, it seemed 
rather a dreary situation, to say the least. 
I had a valise weighing a trifle over one 
hundred pounds, two heavy rifles and some 
ammunition. It was a question with me 
how I was to be transported, with this 
amount of luggage, to some one of the 
many stations reached by the mail stage. 
On mentioning this to the captain, he 
replied, if I remained at the bank long 
enough a "bull train," as he called it, 
" would soon arrive from the fort to load 
up with freight. I could then return with 
the train and find the stage at that point.'* 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. IO9 



This was very poor comfort for me ; I was 
anxious, if possible, to catch an express 
train. It was getting hite in the season, 
the evenings had shown a chilliness that 
was far from agreeable, even when pro- 
vided with the light coverings on the steam- 
boat, but there was nothing better to be 
done. 

After a rude protection from the rain and 
cold had been arranged, the goods and 
supplies for the fort were landed. I saw 
the steamer disappear behind a point lower 
down on the stream ; it brought to mind 
ideas that were engendered b}^ reminis- 
cences of places on the river, pointed out 
to me by the clerk, as made memorable by 
skirmishes with the Indians, which had 
been fatal to many of the hardy squatters 
and trappers of that region. 

" Suppose a band of Indians should 
appear, come down, as it were, from the 
high bluffs that guard the river bank? " 

"No fear of that," said a voice near me. 
Turning around, the kindly face of one of 
the before mentioned squatters was pre- 



no HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



sented to my view. I was quite unaware 
of having expressed my thoughts in an 
audible tone till startled by the scout. I 
began a conversation with the squatter and 
learned that this cattle train was expected 
over from the fort in about a week, also 
that he and his " pard " were going out on 
a hunt for some buflalo meat. The steam- 
boat had gone down the river to get part 
of the freight that had been landed some 
fifty miles below, at a place where great 
difficulty was experienced in getting over a 
bar. An invitation to " go along and get a 
shot at big game" — not having seen either 
deer or buff'alo on the entire journey up the 
river — was a pleasing surprise, which I 
accepted at once, for a chance to pass the 
time of waiting in so agreeable a manner 
was not to be neglected. 

In the morning we started the " outfit," a 
large covered wagon drawn by four horses, 
and indeed it required their full strength to 
pull the nearly empty vehicle up the steep 
bluff*. After arriving at the summit, the 
table land appeared stretching out broad 



HOW I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. Ill 

and level as far as the eye could see, with 
Bear Paw mountains, as I was informed, 
rising from the horizon. The eastern end 
of this range of mountains was our point of 
destination, and it was late in the afternoon 
before we arrived near enough to discover 
with the glass any indications of the 
buffalo. 

The plains at that time were very dry, 
no rain having fallen for a long period. 
The himters were striving to reach a point 
at the base of the mountains, near a small 
stream of water ; we were sure to find some 
buff'alo near, as they can hardly exist with- 
out this refreshing beverage. After a long 
search with the field glasses, one of the 
hunters remarked, "Five buffalo I see at 
the head of that ravine. There is some 
water ; we will camp there tonight." 

I said to the hunter : " Cannot we get a 
shot at those fellows this evening?" 

"Rather hard work," he replied. "The 
ground is very open." 

"Suppose you try the bed of the stream 
for the wagon, you and I start ahead ; that 



112 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

point will cover our approach up to two 
hundred yards." 

"It seems a good idea," he replied, and 
we immediately got down and started oiY 
on foot; as we came in sight of the ani- 
mals, he remarked, "All old bulls, not good 
for meat, too old, no use to go any further," 
but 1 was too anxious to get a shot to heed 
this admonition, and urged him to go on. 

" So you want to kill a buftalo? " 

"That's what I do," I answered in the 
Plains vernacular that I was unconsciously 
-assuming ; a natural consequence of living 
in the Northwest. 

"Well! I'll give you a chance." And 
here I will say I 7vas anxious to get a shot 
at a buffalo, or even a deer; it had been 
mentioned quite a number of times on 
the steamboat: "These tenderfcet target 
shooters that come out in this country and 
try to shoot game, generally find a big 
difference," and they had attacks of "buck 
fever " or nervous prostration of some kind, 
which seriously interfered with any hunt- 
ing on their part," etc., etc. I anxious was 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. II3 

to studv mv own' condition when brouoht 
face to face with, and a certainty of, a sliot 
at big game. 

With a careful ghince at the magazine 
rifle in my hand, to see the hammer was 
on the safet}^ notch, I prepared to follow 
the hunter, w^ho had started oft in a crouch- 
ing position ; it was still necessary to keep 
from sight of the buftalo. It took some 
time to stalk these animals and arrive near 
enough to make a sure shot. We were 
now running in the creek bed, then crawl- 
ing on hands and knees through the 
''brush,'' then as the buftalo dropped their 
heads to feed, a quick run of a few 3'ards 
to another friendly shelter ; in this way we 
were able to approach within seventy or 
eighty yards of the nearest animal ; he was 
standing with broad side presented, his 
head lowered to the ground, feeding on 
the short grass, wholly unaware of the 
approach of any enemy. 

''Now,'' said the scout, "we must shoot 
from here : aim low down behind the fore- 
shoulder.*' I was raisinir mv rifle to slioot 



114 I^OW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

"off-hand," with the left arm extended in 
true hunters' style, but he stopped me with 
'^Take a rest, take a rest over your knee." 
I waited a moment to see if I was actually 
nervous, or if any signs of "buck fever" 
were present, but any nervousness, more 
than what would be naturall}^ occasioned 
by the violent exercise that we had just 
taken 'in arriving at this point, was not 
discernible. 

"What distance do vou think it is?" 
" Near a hundred yards," he said. 
Arranging my sight for the distance des- 
ignated, I raised the weapon to my shoulder, 
as if shooting at the target at two hundred 
yards, set the pin head low^ down on the 
shoulder and pulled the trigger. With a 
loud snort and jump, each buffalo started 
to run. The one I had shot at began to 
limp ; it w^as not over fifty yards before he 
stopped and began to swing himself in a 
circle and then pitched over on one side. 
"Sit dow^n, sit down, w^e ma}^ get a stand 
on them." "What is that?" I asked. He 
explained to me that the buffalo hunters 



HOW 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. II5 



often conceal themselves near the centre ol 
the herd, and after the fright occasioned 
by the first shot, not knowing which way 
to flee from the danger, they became terri- 
fied to such a degree as to run hither and 
thither and round about, until the hunts- 
man had killed sometimes half the entire 
herd. After peeping over the bushes he 
said, " It's no use to wait for these old bulls, 
they are taking up on to the bluffs above the 
creek ; will you take another shot at 
them?" With a remark about the distance 
I raised my sight for a longer range. The 
animals had now paused upon the top oi 
the bank and were looking down at the 
creek bottom for their fallen comrade. 
" Why ! they wait for him," I said. " Yes," 
he answered, "they hesitate, and if it were 
3^ounger cattle w^ould soon return, but these 
old bulls are too well educated ; now is 
your time to shoot if you will try again." 
There were two animals standing near 
each other. I aimed for the centre of their 
black shaggy coats, and fired ; the dust 
flew from the alkaline soil in a direct line 



Il6 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



with the buffalo, l)ut some twenty yards 
ishorl, as the bullet whistled over their 
heads in its rebound. It was an amusing 
sight to watch the heavy creatures, with 
their tails in the air, snorting and bellow- 
ing, rush oft^ in rapid flight. 

"A good liner, but too low." We 
advanced to the side of our fallen game. 
'' He is not dead yet ; the bullet struck him 
too high up," said the hunter. The animal 
lay upon its side, kicking and panting, the 
blood flowing from his nostrils, and 
exhausting himself with vain endeavors to 
get upon its feet. ^^ It is indeed an old 
bull," the hunter remarked, after an exam- 
ination of his horns. " Fifteen years old, 
if a day." Going behind the animal I 
administered the couf de grace in the 
shape of a bullet in the back of his neck: 
his struggles ceased instantaneously ; the 
lead had penetrated to the ver}'^ seat of life. 

Taking the buffalo's scalp and leaving 
the entire carcass except the tongue, we 
started back for the wagon, which by this 
time was in sight. We camped in the 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. II7 

creek bed, were up long before daybreak 
and on our way. It was necessary we 
should reach tlie stream of water early m 
the morning ; we should tind more buffalo 
near at that time than in any other part ot' 
the day. 

When light enough to use the glass, the 
hunter, after a careful search, remarked, 
'' Plenty of buffalo, can see at least tive 
hundred." Concealing the wagon behind 
a projecting bluff, we took our way to the 
vicinity of tlie springs ; we were not disap- 
pointed in iinding the game, but of the 
entire herd not one of the female gender 
could be seen. '' It will be hard to lind 
anything but old bulls in this herd," said 
the scout. "Did you see those five?" I 
inquired, reterring to some animals near 
the foot of a spur that seemed to jut out 
into the creek bottom. '■ Where? " he said. 
I pointed them out to him and he answered, 
"We can get at those, come this way." 
We made a detour to the right, then 
ascended the side of the bluff; it was some 
forty or fifty teet to the top. We then 



Il8 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

Started round to follow this point to the 
end, where the buffalo appeared to be feed- 
ing. As we approached the edge and 
looked over, the animals were standing at 
the foot of the declivity, looking around 
and snuffing as if their sense of smell gave 
them evidence of the proximity of dan- 
ger. "They have got our wind," said the 
scout. I then noticed for the first time 
the wind blew from the direction of our 
camp. "Are you ready?" he inquired. 
I peered over the bank, and as I looked 
down the leader of the band was appar- 
ently looking in my direction. " Shall I 
take him right between the eyes?" "No, 
no, don't shoot there, the bullet will glance 
off\" Noting the angle at which the ani- 
mal's forehead appeared, I saw at once the 
truth of this. " Shoot him close to the 
neck, and range the bullet well down; that 
is the best shot to make." Comprehending 
his idea on the instant, I deliberately 
placed the front sight low down on the ani- 
mal's neck and fired. They all started off' 
with their usual alacritv, and as I reloaded 



HOW I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. II9 



my rifle the scout fired. A cloud of dust 
flew up behind one of the buflalo. '• Missed 
him/' was all he said. x\t the rapid flight 
of the game I fancied a shot gun was in 
my hand and it would seem that the bufl^alo 
were birds ; glancing through the sight 
and leading the now flying animals, as is 
the rule in making a "crossing-shot'' at a 
bird, I pressed the trigger ; a dull thud 
from the bullet as it struck the animaTs 
side was plainly discernible. "You've hit 
him, you have hit," said the scout, and a 
second buffalo began to limp in a terribly 
painful manner : all soon disappeared 
around the bluff' point. "Now," said the 
hunter, " we'll cut them off' on the other 
side." We started on the double quick for 
the further edge of the bluff': reaching the 
spot before me he sat down, deliberately 
raised his rifle, and fired again at the 
passing herd ; there were but four of them 
nows one having fallen down, the first shot 
proving his death wound. To seat myself 
beside him I placed mv hand, not on the 
ground, as I expected, but oh I horror I I 



I20 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

had pressed my open palm into the very 
heart of a cactus plant. The excruciating 
agon}^ that followed, induced by the ten 
thousand spines from this prickly pear, was 
such that I knew not of the flight of the 
buffalo or of the shots from the hunter's 
rifle. Any one who has ever met with an 
experience of this kind will pardon, with- 
out hesitation, some few remarks made at 
the moment as to the origin and character 
of this particular cactus, but I am under 
the impression that the atmosphere was 
'' mephitic " and of a " cerulean hue." '' Our 
army swore terribh^ in Flanders." 

We pursued the band no further, the two 
buffalo already slain proved quite accepta- 
ble, and after dressing, as much as our 
horses could draw to the river. 

After three more days of waiting, the 
"bull train" or "mule train," Vv^hich it 
proved to be, was ready to start. This 
mule train, and it was no exception to the 
general rule, was made up of some twelve 
" teams," with four mules to each team, 
which consisted of two wagons, that is, tliie 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 121 



head wagon, or leader, to which the mules 
were attached, had affixed to its rear a 
trail team of the same size, both being- 
loaded with supplies or merchandize. This 
entire train w^as loaded with boxes of bot- 
tled beer, although on the river bank were 
barrels of flour, sacks of oats, bacon, and 
eatables of different kinds ; the necessity 
of providing " something to drink" for tiie 
fort was of more importance, at this time, 
than the conveyance of the more solid pro- 
visions. It was two days before the train 
was raised to the table land, only to be 
reached by the trail leading up the steep 
bluff. The travelling then was more easy. 
We expected to make twenty miles the 
next day. 

We accomplish a good start and go into 
camp early. A circle is formed by the 
wagons as they are placed for the night 
with an opening at each end ; the mules 
are unharnessed and allowed to wander at 
wall, w^hile one of the company, called the 
"night herder," watches them, lest they 
stray away in the darkness. The mornings 



122 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

feed of oats is well remembered by each 
animal, and long before the bre^k of day 
their clamorings for the expected meal 
break in upon the sleep of the most tired 
driver. 

It was in this way we journejed till 
within two days' drive of Assiniboine. 
The provisions had gradually been grow- 
ing less in quantity and of poorer quality, 
and it actually got so low and so bad the 
entire company "struck," and would not 
harness a mule or make an}'^ start or effort 
towards reaching their destination. After 
a "council of war" was held, in which the 
overseer of the train used language more 
expressive than elegant, he started for 
Assiniboine on " mule-back " for relief in 
the shape of flour and other provision to 
feed the "outfit." 

Here we were impressively reminded of 
the lines from the ancient mariner, " Water, 
water everywhere, and not a drop to 
drink." Here was "beer, beer every- 
where," but nothing to eat and oar "souls 
vearned," or our stomachs did, for those 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 23 



provisions we had left on the banks ot' tlie 
river. 

It was some days after this before the 
train arrived at the fort. I had a letter 
of introduction to the commandant, Major 
Morris, w4io, with his estimable wife, 
received me with cordial and generous 
hospitality ; and I invariably found and 
received the most cordial treatment from 
the different commanders and officers at 
the various stations and posts that it was 
mv crood fortune to visit. 



124 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



Chapter XIII. 

I found at the foj't another surprise in 
waiting. All my ideas of frontier tortifica- 
tions had been formed from what I had 
seen of forts on the sea coast in the East, 
and I expected to see at least some signs 
of a fortification or defensive positions built 
up of logs or earth w^orks. My surprise 
may well be imagined to find, instead, one 
of the most beautifully arranged govern- 
ment stations, not only for the concentration 
of troops, but arranged for their comfort 
and convenience in every detail. I saw a 
wide open square somewhat longer than 
wade in its proportions ; at the one end was 
a handsome brick building constituting the 
hospital, at the opposite end a trader's 
store ; on the eastern side were the officers' 
dwellings, beginning on the right with the 
commandants and ending with the chapel 
and school-room : whilst on the other side 



HOW I I5ECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 25 



were the soldiers' quarters — a row of long 
houses of two-stor}^ construction, with a 
piazza running the full length of each. In 
the rear of these last mentioned buildings 
were the stables for the horses and the 
quarters for the scouts, with which each 
Western force is more or less provided, and 
greath' depended on by the militarNMu their 
skirmishes and warfare with the Indians. 

All of these houses and buildings were 
of brick, built in modern style, and with 
all the conveniences that were possible at 
that distance from refined civilization. 

The Fort, as it is called, was situated 
near the arm of a creek, or river, but upon 
the level table land without protection in 
the way of raised embankments or embra- 
sures of any kind such as I expected to 
find. 

The view across the level plain is unob- 
structed, and the distant mountains, some 
of them snow capped, apparentty rise from 
the horizon fifty to sixty miles awav. 

Fort Assiniboine is some sixty-five miles 
from Fort Benton, and is the end of the 



126 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

stage line ; the stage goes no further, and, 
in fact, there is no other inhabited place 
for hundreds of miles for it to go to. The 
mails for the fort, which come twice a 
week, are carried by this line. 

Leaving Assiniboine at five in the morn- 
ing, if parties are taken through on time, 
and not delayed by some sudden snow 
storm or squall of w^ind and rain wdiich 
frequent the plains at this season of the 
year, they arrive at Benton late in the 
afternoon. This is a town of some impor- 
tance, having a daily paper, telegraph 
office and other conveniences that had 
been left far behind. It is also the highest 
point on the Missouri to w^hich steamboats 
ascend, which they can only do in the 
early season when the water is high. 
There I found some congenial spirits that 
were interested in shooting, both wuth the 
rifle and shot gun. Deer, antelope and 
buflalo w^ere somew^hat scarce at that sea- 
son of the year, but I was assured by one 
of the prominent sportsmen of some of the 
finest duck shooting that could be had in 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 27 

the United Stat-es. Fifteen miles from Fort 
Benton were some lakes which are the 
stopping places of thousands of ducks and 
geese in their annual migrations. If I 
would go along my informant promised to 
lend me a shot gun and take me with a 
couple of his friends to spend a day among 
the ducks. I was too willing to accept the 
crenial invitation. It was soon after dinner 
that he came to the hotel for me ; I was 
prepared to take my rifle and a supply of 
cartridges along, but he informed me it 
would be only "baggage in the way" as 
I would have no occasion whatever to use 
them. ''We have plenty of guns and 
ammunition," he said, "so take * your 
blankets, shooting coat and jump in ;" this 
advice I followed. We were soon spin- 
ning along the table land to which we had 
ascended ; the town being situated on the 
north side of the river bottom, which at 
this place is a mile and a half wide. We 
stopped at a ranch on the way and "lubri- 
cated the inner man," as one gentleman 
expressed it, and I found it was a part of 



128 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

the regular programme with these Western 
people, especially those engaged in out-of- 
door pursuits, to "lubricate this inner man" 
somewhat extensively. Not beincr able to 
support much of this '' lubrication," I par- 
took somewhat sparingly. We then 
resumed our journey to the lakes : it was 
some time after sunset before we arrived at 
our camping place, so we got no ducks 
that day. In the morning I found we 
needed no decoys or boats ; the ducks were 
there in countless numbers and constantly 
flying across a narrow isthmus of land that 
separated the two lakes. We were con- 
cealed in blinds built of bushes and grass 
and fook our choice of shots as the birds 
flew over us. After exhausting my ammu- 
nition and getting well tired of the constant 
pounding of the light ten-gauge gun, I 
proposed to ''take a rest." The other gen- 
tlemen were still deeply engaged in tlie 
sport and had no desire to give it up, but 
upon a proposition to take some luncheon, 
which had been brought along, all started 
for the wagon, which was some distance 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 29 

from the lakes-, sheltered by a point or 
bluft'. We enjoyed our repast with keen 
appetites, brought on by the exercise and 
bracing air ; we had nearly finished when 
I inquired, "Are not buftalo and deer 
sometimes tbund in this vicinity?" "Oh! 
occasionally they are seen." "Well," said 
I, "Are those cattle over there near the 
point of that bluft'? " pointing to one a short 
distance away. "No, there is no cattle 
ranch around here ; it must be buffalo." 
The attention of our party being directed 
to the point, all declared three were plainly 
in sight. Addressing one of the party, T 
said, "Let you and I see if we can catch a 
buffalo." With a hearty laugh he answered 
that the buffalo would catch us, and added, 
"There are no buffalo guns in the outfit." 
" O ! yes," said another, " I have a ^ Spring- 
field* in the wagon and some cartridges." 
Hintino' that I would like to ofo and take a 
shot at them, he assured me I was quite 
welcome and said he would come alono- 
with me and thus save his shot cartridges 
for the afternoon flight of ducks. We were 



130 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

soon on our way, I with the Springfield, 
and he with his shot gun and heavy 
revolver. It was some two miles to where 
we had seen the buffalo, which were feed- 
ing near the entrance of a ravine into vvhich 
they were slowly disappearing. We took 
a direct line across the table land to inter- 
cept them at the further end of the opening. 
Nearing the locality we found numerous 
''wash-outs," or gullies, which were cut 
deep into the ground by the melting of 
snow and the heavy rains. The sides of 
these wash-outs were very steep and in 
some places we could not easily climb them, 
but succeeded by pressing the edges of the 
heavy soles of our boots into the hard 
alkaline soil. After crossing a number of 
these " gullies," we arrived at the end of 
the ravine and peered over. Two of the 
buff'alo only were in sight. My compan- 
ion, who had had some experience, said to 
me : " This is a fine point, the buff'alo will 
come this way ; you remain here and I will 
make a detour and start them from the 
opposite side." 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I3I 



The plan succeeded most admirably. I 
waited at the point indicated and when my 
friend showed himself on the opposite side 
at the entrance of the ravine, the nearest 
burtalo started directly tor my hiding place. 
The wind, unfortunately for me, was in a 
direction that gave the scent to the animal 
as he was ascending the bank of the ravine. 
When nearly half way to the top, he 
stopped, snuffing and stamping, and glar- 
ing fiercely in my direction with a distance 
of scarcely fifty yards between us ; his tail 
was elevated and switching angrily from 
side to side. Resting my elbow on my 
knee I, with cool deliberation, pointed the 
rifle exactly between his eyes and fired. 

At the result of the shot I was somewhat 
astonished. The buffalo, with a louder 
snort, turned completely around, and 
looked down the declivity, which he had 
partly ascended, with all the fierceness and 
earnestness that he had before exhibited 
when glaring in my direction. It was a 
few seconds before I could explain this 
change of front 'on the bufl^alo's part, but as 



132 HOW 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

I looked at him carefully I missed that 
grand and majestic szuitch^ szvitch of the 
tail that was apparent before the shot. I 
then perceived, as the buffalo began to 
turn round and round with extreme vexa- 
tion, a jangled and tangled or mortified 
attempt to circulate, as it were, his caudal 
appendage, which now hung only by the 
skin, the bullet having passed above the 
back of the animal and severed the verte- 
bral bone some two or three inches from 
the body, and the animal being hurt so 
severely in his rear-most part was as much 
astonished with pain and vexation as I was 
at the effects of the bullet, which had gone 
so high above the aim, from a mistake in 
the sights, which were set for two hundred 
yards and not for fifty as I had been 
informed. 

Removing the empty shell from the rifle, 
I felt in my pockets for another cartridge, 
but, alas ! I find cause for agitation, my 
friend had the cartridges in his possession ; 
when he handed me the rifle, remarking 
that it was loaded, he retained the supply 



HOW I BECAME A CKACK SHOT. I33 

of cartridges in his own pocket. I was 
standing in plain sight of the buffalo, hav- 
ing risen from my position after tiring, and 
being at last perceived by the animal, he 
made a ''bolt" in my direction: as there 
was nothing else to do I also made a 
"bolt." Any direction to me was safety if 
I could only outrun the quadruped. Throw- 
ing down the Springfield, as it would only 
impede my progress, I, in Western phrase, 
'"lighted out for all I was worth." Not 
more than a hundred yards brought me to 
the edge of one of the wash-outs, and glanc- 
ing behind I saw the buffalo had full steam 
on and was doing his utmost to overtake 
me. The side of the wash-out at this point 
was very steep. Without hesitation though 
I plunged down, and reaching the other 
bank tried to ascend, but the angle of the 
incline was so sharp, and being somewhat 
out of breath from my exertions, I could 
only make a partial ascent of the acclivity 
and take advantage of a seam or slight 
projection, dig hands and feet into the 
earth, and thus sustain myself at this point, 



134 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

about half way to the top. The distance 
from side to side of this wash-out was not 
more than forty or fifty feet. The buftalo 
coming to the place at which I had disap- 
peared and seeing me on the opposite side, 
without hesitation jumped and scrambled to 
the bottom, and with an angr}^ rush and 
roar tried to climb to w^here I was. I w^as 
up some fifteen or twenty feet from the 
bottom of the wash-out and the buftalo, as 
he tore the dirt with his horns and tried to 
reach me, was scarcely more than three or 
four feet below my resting place.* 

How long it would have been before he 
had undermined my position, ow^ing to the 
amount of earth he w^as tearing up, and 
brought me down to his level I cannot say, 
but my feelings were somewhat relieved by 
a loud shout from my friend w^ho had 
hastened to the rescue, he having seen the 
charge of the buffalo and my rapid flight ; 
he also noticed my abandonment of the 

*It may be notorious that buftalos cannot climb 
trees, but I can say without any hesitation that I enter- 
tain a veiy respectful idea of their ability to get up a 
steep bank, or climb the sides of a "wash-out." 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



^Jd 



Springfield and, knowing all the ammuni- 
tion was in his own possession, he started 
to reo^ain the rifle and come to mv assist- 
ance. 

Giving an answering '' hallo " to apprize 
him of my situation, he soon came in sight 
further down the side of the w^ash-out. 
Recognizing the fact at once that it was 
impossible for the buffalo to come up on 
either side, he boldly advanced to the bank 
above and began a fusilade on the animal. 
The buffalo at the first shot turned from 
me and tried to ascend the opposite bank, 
but the bullets from the Springfield were 
too much for him and he soon turned over 
and rolled to the bottom of the gully, a 
helpless mass. 

It might be proper to say here, as a final 
and fitting end to this remarkable chase, 
that on my way home from the lakes I was 
triumphantly awarded ''the brushy 

From Fort Benton to Helena the dis- 
tance is about one hundred and eighty 
miles. The stage, which is the onh^ public 
conveyance, travels night and day with the 



136 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

mail. I was informed that the passage 
over the mountains was made in the night, 
and at that season of the year the cold was 
intense, owing to the high altitude reached 
as we followed the trail. We had scarcely- 
got clear from Benton before fine particles 
of snew began to fall, and long before 
night we were pushing our way through a 
driving storm. The temperature had fallen 
some twenty degrees during the last few 
hours ; however, we pressed on, and by 
nightfall the snow had covered the level 
plain to the depth of some six or eight 
inches. 

It was long after dark when we began 
the first ascent of the mountain ; the range 
at this place, I learned from the driver, was 
the dividing point of the water sheds ; w^e 
were now on the Atlantic side and as soon 
as we crossed the summit we should be on 
the Pacific slope. The altitude at which 
we crossed the divide was nearly seven 
thousand fe*et, and if on time we would 
arrive at the top about twelve o'clock. 

It proved in this case to be much later. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I37 

The snow had driven into the road and 
blocked the way to sucli an extent that our 
progress was very much impeded and 
became slower and slower, and for most of 
the distance to the top it was nearl}^ to the 
hubs of the wheels, and two hours were 
required to make the pull of the la^st half 
mile. 

Here the thermometer had gone below 
zero, and the scanty covering for protec- 
tion from the cold, with which the passen- 
gers were provided, occasioned very much 
suffering, and I wHl say that of all the 
nights of discomfort that it was ever my 
experience to endure this was the most 
fearful. 

We were obliged to remain at the next 
station, where we changed horses, two 
days for the snow to melt sufficiently that 
we could proceed on our journey. 

As it was impossible to hold any shoot- 
ing competition or matches in such weather 
as this, after a sojourn at Helena sufficiently 
long to recover from the severe cold con- 
tracted in that terrible night's ride over 



138 now I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

^^ the Rockies," I took sta^e for Deer 
Lodge and Butte City. Fifteen miles from 
the latter I reached the railroad, and it was 
with feelings of much joy that I found 
myself safely on board and hurrying over 
the rails. H(^re my vsufterings from stage 
riding came to an end. I proceeded to 
Salt Lake City and after a happy stay of 
some days, took my departure for the East. 

Note. — The following interesting adventure was 

misplaced in the manuscript. We insert it here, 

believing it should not be omitted from the book. 
— [Ed. 

I arrived at Bismark too late in the after- 
noon to make much progress in looking up 
the sportsmen of the town. 

In the morning the clerk of the hotel 
informed me that one of the editors of the 
paper was a sportsman and belonged to 
the club. It was quite a live institution 
and the members did considerable shooting 
at glass balls, but indulged ver}^ little in 
rifle practice. I called on this gentleman 
with my credentials and was apparently 
well received, but in the afternoon's issue 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 39 



of the paper any notice of my arrival was 
not to be found. I had meanwhile made 
the acquaintance of certain other members 
of the ckib that were doing business in the 
place and, although they confessed them- 
selves "no rifle shots," gave me to under- 
stand that with the shot gun at glass balls 
or ducks they felt themselves quite at home 
in any companv. P^egretting the fact that 
I had no shot gun with me, I also inti- 
mated I would be delighted at a skirmish 
with the ducks. One of the gentlemen 
offered to loan me a gun, and proposed to 
go in the afternoon down the river bank 
some two or three miles to the slough 
where we would find plenty of ducks to be 
had for the shooting. 

This slough, referred to by the sports- 
man, was a sort of marshy pond, some 
mile and a half long bv three quarters 
wide, and deep enough through the central 
part to float a ducking skifl^ or small boat. 
I Jiad had one experience in slough shoot- 
ing for ducks and I inquired if they had 
any decoys or required a boat. " Oh I no," 



I40 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



one answered, "if yoit shoot any ducks we 
can wade in and get them, the water is not 
ver}^ deep." After thinking the matter 
over, I provided myself with six long sticks 
about the size and length of an ordinary 
ramrod, and sharpened or pointed each end ; 
also two square pieces of board to be 
extemporized into a seat. As I placed 
these in the rear end of the wagon, I 
noticed a slight nudge of the elbow on the 
part of one sportsman to another, and an 
indicatory nod in my direction. This elic- 
ited an inquiry from the party if I was 
going to "string my birds on a stick." 
With the remark that it would not be a 
bad idea, perhaps, I also intimated that if 
the ducks presented themselves I could 
soon place enough of them " hoi^s da com- 
bat'^ to fill up the sticks. 

There were five in the party, with the 
driver, who was to take care of the wagon 
and horses; the rest of us were sportsmen, 
fully armed and equipped. In a short time 
we drove up to the side of the slough and 
the leader of the party remarked, " Mart, 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I4I 

you and I will go down to the left and let 
the other gentlemen go around the upper 
end ; we can meet at the foot and Ned will 
have the wagon there for us/' "How long- 
shall we shoot?'' "Oh! it will be near 
dark before you get through." I shoul- 
dered my gun, and with sticks and seat in 
hand started for the point indicated. There 
was scarcely a ripple upon the water and 
as there were no ducks in sight I must sa}' 
I was fearful of having made a mistake ; 
however, I determined to make the best of 
it, and when I arrived at the upper end, 
where the rushes and grass were growing 
in the water and extending some hundred 
3^ards or more, I saw some teal and waded 
in ; finding the water reached but little 
above mid-leg, I continued wading until 
some distance from the shore ; here I suc- 
ceeded in killing two of the teal, which I 
set up with my pointed sticks in the water 
to serve as decoys. A tuft of tall grass 
near by making a convenient hiding place 
and the water not being very cold, I knew 
my position would not be uncomfortable, 



142 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

provided I was enlivened by an occasional 
shot. Other parties were after ducks in a 
boat at the further end of the slough ; a 
distant bang\ bang^ assured me of their 
stirring up the fowl, and I noticed coming 
from that direction two mallards ; as they 
swung around in my vicinity I captured 
one of them, although with the second 
barrel, and placed him as a decoy with the 
teal. With the start thus begun I soon 
had some fine shooting and all my sticks 
set out, each with a dead bird held in place 
for a decoy. The friends that had accom- 
panied me were having rare sport, to judge 
from the continued firing, and I began to 
think my bag would hardly be as heavy as 
theirs, they being familiar with the ground 
and could take every advantage. 

When darkness approached I gathered 
up my birds and found that standing in the 
water so long, had benumbed my extremi- 
ties to such a degree, I had great difficulty 
in carrying my game and gun to the land. 
While waiting for the wagon to drive up, I 
counted the results of mv efforts, — sixteen, 



HOW 1 BECA.AIE A CRACK SHOT. 1^^ 



mallard and teal. The other parties were 
apprised of my position and knew that I 
had remained at this end of the slough. It 
was somewhat after dark before they 
arrived at the place, and as they drove up 
and halted, one of them inquired : ''WelU 
what luck, Mr. Farrow?" I was anxious 
to know the extent of their bag before 
replying, so I answered his question in true 
Yankee style by asking another, "How 
many birds have you got?" "By Gad ! "^ 
he says, with some exultation, "we have 
got two." "What," said I, "two for the 
whole party?" "Yes," he answered, "we 
have got two, and if you have got more 
than that, you have done mighty well." 
Upon my assuring him sixteen was the 
total of my bag, he would not believe it 
until he had seen and counted them for 
himself. I remarked that some of these 
"wandering ^tender-feet' from the East" 
were " quite capable with the shot gun or 
with the rifle, even if they did take sticks 
to string their ducks on." "Now," he con- 
tinued, "what did you do with the sticks?" 



144 IlO^^' I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

Upon my explaining to him how I had 
used them by running the pointed end of 
the stick under the skin, up the neck and 
through to the top of the head of the dead 
duck to support it in a life like position as 
a decoy, he remarked: "That is a down 
east dodge, and I'll bet money no one but 
a tender foot would have thought of prac- 
ticing such a thing around here." "Which 
one of the New England States did you 
come from?" was his next inquiry. I told 
him I w^as born in the State of Maine. He 
reached out and shook my hand vigorously 
wdth the remark : "How are you Pine Tree 
State? there's where I belong, too." The 
drive home was enlivened by the detailed 
experiences of each one and the bad luck 
of loosing ducks actually killed, seemed to 
have followed each individual, with one 
single exception, for enough ducks w^ere 
knocked down dead during this short drive 
to have supplied the hotels for a week at 
least. We soon arrived at the store where 
a crowd of friends, w^ho knew of our 
departure, had been impatiently awaiting 



I 



now 1 BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I45 

our return ; they began their inquiries as 
to our success : " How many birds did 
you get, Mart? " '' Oh I I didn't shoot any- 
thing." Just then the driver passed out my 
bunch of ducks. " Oh I you didn't get 
nothing, whose birds are they?" The 
driver remarked that "these all belonged 
to the gentleman from the East." "What," 
said another, "you let that rifle shot beat 
you all with your own tools? well I you are 
a precious lot." "Whose gun did you 
have?" "How did you do it?" remarked 
a third, tapping me on the shoulder. The 
only explanation that I gave was to invite 
them all in to "Mart's" to take a "lunar," 
as it was styled in that town, which was 
more clearly discernible over, and in front 
of, a long mahogan}' bar and through the 
bottom of a tumbler. This explanation 
was quite satisfactory, and finding the " rifle- 
shot " such a jolly good fellow, they voted it 
was no disgrace to be defeated at the hands 
of such an artist. 

The next edition of the paper, however, 
contained a notice of the arrival of a dis- 



146 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

tinguished rifle shot who was an " ardent 
sportsman, W. M. Farrow, from the East," 
with a card ending to the effect that " the 
boys had better sharpen up their wits as 
well as their flints." 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I47 



Chapter XIV. 

On arriving at New York, I was 
informed by letters irom Newport that my 
brother's health had failed him to such an 
extent he must give up business for the 
coming season, at least. This necessitated 
my returning, to once more take charge of 
the affairs I had left in his care some five 
years before. 

During the season, which proved to be a 
busy one, I found but little time to practice 
any long-range shooting, two hundred 
yards being the extent of our range at the 
club grounds ; at this distance I was 
enabled to keep my practice well in hand; 
the meetings of our club were held at the 
range on Wednesday of each week. My 
return to the city was the occasion of 
renewed interest being manifested by mem- 
bers and friends of the association, and I 
felt greatly encouraged in my endeavors to 
perfect an off-hand team of sufficient skill 



148 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



that in the coming Fall meeting of the 
National Rifle Association at Creedmoor, 
we could attend and compete for a respect- 
able position with the crack off'-hand clubs 
that frequent this famous rifle range. 

The visit of a British rifle team had been 
assured to the National Rifle Association. 
This organization was preparing to raise 
a team of marksmen to compete in an 
international match against the visitors, 
and had issued printed circulars, with con- 
ditions attached, requiring certain competi- 
tions to be engaged in, to enable any 
marksman to become eligible for a place 
on the team. As these conditions required 
shooting at the extreme distances of eight 
hundred, nine hundred, and one thousand 
yards, and there being no accessible range 
in this state, I could not conform to these 
conditions and become really eligible for a 
place on the team. 

Having given up any idea of attempting 
to gain a position on the team, I was 
greatly surprised on a certain day in 
August to receive a personal visit from the 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. I49 

Secretar}' of the Association. He remarked, 
during a lengthy conversation, that it was 
his desire, and also that ot^ many others of 
the National Rifle Association, that I should 
enter the linal competitions for the team ; 
my known reputation and skill in public 
matches, he assured me, were sufficient 
for w^aiving the competitions called for in 
the circular; it would be done, not only in 
my case, but in the case of some others, 
also that he would take a trip to Provi- 
dence to see the Governor and Adjutant 
General of Rhode Island, and induce them, 
if possible, to ofter a trophy to anyone in 
the National Guard of the state that should 
win a position on the team. My strong 
desire to see the American arms victorious 
in the coming contest, backed by the per- 
sonal solicitations of the irresistible Secre- 
tary, induced me to give a promise to come 
to Creedmoor and enter the final competi- 
tion. 

I immediately began practicing with a 
military rifle at two hundred 3^ards, and 
made some very good records, forty-five, 



150 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

forty-six and forty-seven on two or three 
different occasions. Not being able to 
practice over the longer ranges, that I 
might adjust the sights and procure the 
proper elevations and windage, I felt some 
uneasiness, but promising m3^self to go to 
Creedmoor a week, at least, before the 
regular competitions began, to perfect the 
ammunition and the arrangement of the 
sights for the longer distance, I contented 
myself. 

But press of business and other circum- 
stances prevented me from going on at the 
time I intended, and I was forced to satisfy 
myself with but one practice at Creedmoor, 
which was accomplished on Monday after- 
noon from four o'clock to six. 

It will be seen that I had time on that 
day to shoot but a few shots at the lower 
ranges, and in no way could I satisfy 
myself in regard to the sights and ammuni- 
tion for the extreme distances over which I 
knew the competitions would lead me on 
the morrow. 

It was under these circumstances that I 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 151 

went into the match the next morning, the 
first stage being two hundred, five hundred 
and six hundred yards. A glance at the 
record will show that m}' first attempt here, 
resulted in the respectable score of ninety- 
one. This, indeed, is a very good figure, 
but upon attempting the longer ranges 
with different ammunition, heavier bullets 
and more pow^der being required, laboring 
also under the disadvantage which I dis- 
covered afterward, that the rear sight of 
the rifle, instead of rising from the barrel 
in a perpendicular position, inclined to the 
right at an angle of several degrees ; and 
it w^as no wonder that I should, in the series 
of misses that followed, hit the left wing of 
the target next on the right of the one I 
was aiming at. 

The competitions following so closely, 
one each day, left no time for me to go in 
town and procure different ammunition or 
to re-arrange and plumb the sights, as it 
required all the evening to load the car- 
tridges for the next day's shooting. I w^as 
thus forced to remain at Creedmoor and 



152 HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 

try to overcome the difficulty in the sights 
and ammunition with what limited means I 
could extemporize. 

On the last day but one of the competi- 
tions the Secretary of the Association, who 
was still deeply interested in my success, 
asked permission to obtain for me another 
rifle with perfected ammunition and desired 
that I should use it the next day through 
the match. This I did and made the 
respectable total of one hundred and eighty- 
five. I used it also in two subsequent 
matches, and had the three totals been 
made during the days of the first competi- 
tions, it would have placed me in fourth 
position upon the team. 

Notwithstanding this fact, the decision of 
those in charge of the final selection was, 
that Farrow must now be placed with the ""'has 
beens^'' any place on the team for him was 
out of the question ; they were ready to de- 
clare that, outside of the two hundred 3''ards 
range, there was no one of those already 
nominated that could not hold his own, even 
with the champion of two continents. 



HOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 1 53 

Manv were the letters of condolence and 
inquiry that were received after my return 
to Newport, to all of which I unhesitatingly 
answered, I could yet shoot and they 
should see it verified. 

When the time for the Fall matches of 
the National Rifle Association came round, 
our little Newport Rifle Club were quite 
ready with their oft-hand team, and 
repaired to Creedmoor, where, but for the 
too liberal allowance provided in the pro- 
gramme for the fine guns of the English 
marksmen, it would have taken first prize 
in the competition which we came there to 
win. Each team of four, from the British 
Association, was allowed six points, to be 
added to its total score, from the fact of 
its rifles being finished outside in military 
semblance, and having six pounds trigger 
pull. 

The individual match, in which I 
expected to meet some sharp competition, 
and had determined to win, if possible, was 
the Military Champions ; if I won this from 
all comers it would seem to be a vindica- 



154 tlOW I BECAME A CRACK SHOT. 



tion of my ability yet as a marksman. The 
distances were the same as those over 
which the competitions for team places 
were Contested, and the last stage at eight 
hundred, nine hundred and one thousand 
yards decided the championship. A valu- 
able gold medal and twenty-five dollars in 
cash were to be awarded the winner. 

The value and extent of the prizes offered 
in this match were of such a nature, that a 
spirited competition was assured among 
the Americans, occurring as it did after the 
match with the British ; it would be an 
additional honor to an}^ guardsman or 
member of the team who should win this 
valuable trophy. 

Not intending to be handicapped in any 
way by a defective rifle or ammunition, 
and wishing also to test the qualities of the 
rifles with which the visitors were armed, I 
asked McVittie, of the British team, the 
loan of his rifle, to use in the second stage 
of this match; having favored him in like 
manner at the two hundred yards, a few 
days previous, I felt no hesitation in asking. 




Won at 

800-900-1000 jards, with military rifle. 

Score SS' 



HOW I BECAMK A CRACK SHOT. 



':>:> 



The result of the contest was a complete 
vindication of my shooting abilities ; I won 
the match with a total of eighty-live, lead- 
ing the next best competitor with a margin 
of nine points. 

" Farrow can still shoot," was passed 
round, and ^' whv was he left off^ of the 
team?" And inquiries and suggestions 
without number were forthcoming ; suffice 
it to say that having spent five years in the 
study of rifles and rifle shooting, the old 
saying may apply here, as "one swallow 
does not make summer," so, one poor score 
is not an assurance there is no ability in 
the marksman. 



Note by Editor. — Mr. P'arrow now holds the medal 
which he won at Creedmoor, as the Champion Mili- 
tary Marksman of the United States of America, and is 
ever ready to defend his title, and prove his skill to he 
all that the medal implies. 



156 HINTS TO P^EGINNERS. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



Chapter I. 

In these ^' hints to beginners," Mr. Far- 
row has endeavored to embody certain 
principles and practical suggestions in a 
conversational style, which we think is 
fully as instructive and more easily com- 
prehended by the beginner, than any elab- 
orate and theoretical method, however well 
written. — [Ed. 

Tyro. — Mr. Farrow, I have determined 
to take up rifle shooting and give some 
time and attention to it ; do you think it a 
healthful recreation? 

Mr. Farrow. — Most certainly; the 
exercise in the open air stimulates the 
muscles, their training in harmony with 
nerve and eye, is a great relief to any strain 
occasioned by mental exertion and must 
exert a healthful reaction. What part of 
the art do you propose to learn? 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I57 



Q^ — Which would you advise? 

A. — By all means the oft^-hand or two 
hundred yards shooting ; if you can become 
proficient in this branch, your advancement 
to the longer ranges will be easy and more 
rapid. 

Q^ — Why ! do,you think it easier to make 
good scores at long ranges than at two 
hundred yards, ofl:-hand? 

A. — I do really think it far easier to 
become an expert marksman at eight hun- 
dred, nine hundred and one thousand yards 
than at the shorter distance ; in the former, 
the position allowed the marksman is such, 
that after sorae practice, the rifle can be 
held as steadily on the bull's eye, as though 
fired from an artificial rest, and it is easier 
to become expert in estimating the varying 
forces of the wind and changes of light, 
which are the principal difficulties encoun- 
tered at these distances. 

It is easier to do that, I will say, than 
where a marksman is standing in the open, 
with no rest for his rifle but his own 
strength of arm and nerve, to maintain a 



158 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



steady hold upon the bull's eye, bringing 
the pressure on the trigger with sufficient 
force, to cause the discharge at the right 
instant, and following this in successive 
shots to the fulfillment of a complete score. 
Ah ! yes, I could name you many who, 
with the experience of one season at the 
long ranges, have become so proficient, 
that scores with but few points off from the 
" possible," have been repeated many times, 
yet these same gentlemen, after years of 
practice at the two hundred yards, had 
become only medium in proficiency. 

Q^ — I am but a beginner in this business 
and am asking you some questions that 
w^ould appear foolish to an old hand ; now, 
what is meant by " 32," " 38 " and " 40 cal- 
ibre?" 

A. — Those figures refer to the diameter of 
the bore of the rifle in hundredths of an inch. 

Q^ — In choosing a rifle for oft-hand work 
entirely, what calibre would you think 
preferable? 

A. — I have found the 38 calibre the best 
for fine shooting at oft-hand ; it is the 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I59 

smallest calibre to which paper patch bul- 
lets have been adapted. 

Q^ — What are " paper patch " bullets, 
and are they more accurate than other bul- 
lets? 

A. — Bullets that are patched have a 
wrapping of paper around them, to prevent 
the lead of which they are composed touch- 
ing the inside of the rifle barrel in their 
passage through the tube ; they are elon- 
gated bullets with a bearing inside the bar- 
rel of nearly two-thirds their entire length, 
and this style of bullet, where cleaning after 
each discharge is allowed, has been found 
to be more accurate than bullets with 
grooves in them, which must be lubricated 
with tallow or other material, to prevent 
the lead adhering to the barrel as it comes 
in actual contact with the rifling. 

Q^ — Why do you prefer the 38 calibre, 
can you not make as good scores with the 
40? 

A. — All my best off'-hand work has been 
accomplished with the 38 calibre. I tried 
the 40, thoroughl3% and found with the 



l6o HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

same weight of bullet, powder and rifle, 
more recoil in the 40 calibre than in the 38. 

This question of recoil for off-hand work 
is very important; there is an instinctive 
flinching of every marksman to meet this 
recoil, and the lighter the "kick" of the 
piece the less inclination we have to meet 
it. The two rifles, if placed on an artificial 
rest, might make targets of equal excel- 
lence, but my experience is that the gun of 
smaller calibre and less recoil, will be far 
more pleasant to the shooter and give him 
better results for his pains. 

Q^ — Have you experimented with the 32 
calibre, and what do you think of that? 

A. — I have given some little time to the 
trial of the 32 calibre, but as there are no 
shells manufactured for this size, with a 
capacity for forty grains of powder, w^hich 
I think is as little as we can use and main- 
tain the velocity necessary for fine work, 
and also, no bullets of proper weight, 
shape and length could be found, I was 
forced to abandon the 32. The results I 
obtained, however, led me to view this 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. l6l 

calibre with much respect, and I am not 
positive that we shall not soon have even a 
32 calibre, that w^ill make excellent targets 
at two hundred 3'ards. 

Q^ — What calibre is most generally used 
for the long ranges? 

A. — The 45 calibre seems to be the 
favorite with all the manufacturers. I 
think the reason for this may be traced to 
the fact, that the government has adopted 
the 45 calibre for its service arm, and the 
manufacturers, having to prepare tools for 
that caVihre, /b7^ced, as it were, the riflemen 
into this size for their long range work. I 
am of the opinion that as fine targets can 
be made w^ith the 40 calibre at one thousand 
yards as the 45, but proper adaptation of 
bullet, powder and rifling, must be accom- 
plished ; and when one-half of the experi- 
ments have been carried on with this size, 
that there has been with the 45, we 
shall attain a greater degree of proficiency, 
and a greater degree of accuracy than is 
generally conceded to this calibre, and if its 
real capabilities were known, it would be 
II 



l62 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

but a short time before the government 
ammunition would be 40 instead of 45. 

Q^ — I would like to try that thing 
myself; could I procure a 40 calibre long 
range rifle ? 

A. — You could procure a rifle of 40 cal- 
ibre that would shoot one thousand yards, 
but my advice would be to leave it to older 
and more experienced marksmen to cypher 
out, and begin your work at the two hun- 
dred yards, off'-hand ; this will tell you, 
after some diligent practice and study, 
what your capabilities are. 

Q^ — How would you advise a man to 
begin his practice for the off'-hand? 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 163 



Chapter II. 

If you are aspiring to attain the high-, 
est excellence in oft-hand work, a first 
class rifle is indispensable ; it must be sup- 
plied with the bullets best fitted to its cali- 
bre, and wdth shells, powder and primers 
ad libitum. The manner of loading, re-load- 
ing and preparing the shells and bullets will 
be found a study in itself; but I do not advise 
you to go to the two hundred yards range 
and begin practicing "ofiF-hand," that is, in 
the standing position ; it would be better to 
spend at least tw^o or three w^eeks shooting 
from a rest at the Creedmoor target. 

Q^ — Why ! a man ought to make all 
bull's eyes at two hundred yards from a rest? 

A. — Quite so, provided his rifle and 
ammunition are all right, but as a begin- 
ner, he W'Ould find that one-third bull's eyes 
at the start w^ould be a very good score. 

Q^ — Why do you advise a beginner to 
practice shooting from a rest? 



164 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

A. — It accustoms one to the noise of the 
explosion and kick of the rifle; one learns, 
also, after a little practice, that no bull's 
€3^e will answer his shot where the sights 
are not properly held, even from the rest. 

Q^ — You speak as though it was a diffi- 
cult thing to hold the sights on the bull's 
eye, even with a rest. 

A. — I think it a difficult thing to make a 
long series of bull's eyes with any rifle, 
and in any position ; you will find when 
you come to try, that the noise of the dis- 
charge and the recoil of the rifle, especially 
if you use a large calibre, will develop in 
you an instinctive desire to "brace up" and 
meet the recoil, even though shooting with 
a rest. I have found myself, when pulling 
the trigger at rest shooting, if I had a mis- 
fire of the cartridge, a movement of the 
muscles of the arm and shoulder, a tighten- 
ing, as it were to brace themselves, -for the 
accustomed kick. 

Q^ — Is the recoil of a rifle a very severe 
thing to endure ? 

A. — The smaller calibres in the oft-hand 



HINTJ^ TO BEGINNERS. 165 

position are not severe in any measure, but 
the 45 calibre with seventy grains of pow- 
der, a beginner would consider hard pun- 
ishment. 

Qc — What rifle do you consider the best 
for oft-hand shooting? 

A. — There are a number of first class 
make of rifles, but I have learned that it is 
necessary, in order to develop the highest 
capabilities of any rifleman, that he should 
have an arm that would "fit" him, if I may 
use the expression, the conformation of the 
man has something to do with this; you 
will see marksmen with long necks and 
low shoulders, others quite the reverse, 
some with long arms and high shoulders ; 
and I claim that each should be supplied 
with a rifle to suit such conformation that 
they can stand and "hold" in a perfectly 
natural position, that there may be no 
over strain of any series or sets of muscles, 
to cause an unnecessary vibration of the 
rifle while taking aim. 

Q^ — How would the rifles difler from 
each other to suit the different individuals? 



l66 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



A. — The difference would mainly be in 
the length and drop of the stock ; the 
marksmen with short necks and high 
shoulders would require a much straighter 
stock and a trifle shorter ; it would be quite 
the reverse with the long-necked and low- 
shouldered individual. Please bear in 
mind this fact, that our aim must be uni- 
formity in everything ; you must have it in 
the cartridge, in the sighting, in the pull- 
ing, in the position and in the holding. 

Q^ — What do you mean by uniformity in 
holding, v^^hat is that? 

A. — I consider it a very important point; 
for instance we will take this Springfield 
rifle here, I will put it high up on my 
shoulder, the lower point of the butt-plate 
barely touching the shoulder ; if I pull in 
that position, j^ou will find the bullet to 
strike the target at a difl^erent point than if 
held in this position, with the butt low 
down and solidly braced against the shoul- 
der, although the rifle is aimed exactly at 
the same point. 

Q^ — How do 3'ou account lor that? 



HINTS* TO BEGINNERS. l6^ 

A. — The answer to your question would 
require a number of pages if the detail is 
gone into, but to illustrate, you will see by 
examining this rifle that the resistance to 
the recoil is below the line of fire, w^hich is 
a straight line brought directly back 
through the barrel of the rifle over the 
stock: the centre of the butt-plate is about 
four and one-half inches below this line ; 
now force directly back the barrel and 
resist on the centre of the butt ; if the powder 
applied be of sufficient strength it will cause 
an upward bend of the rifle, something as 
you w^ould bend an opened hoop w^hen 
pressing the ends towards the centre. 
Thus you can see if the recoil is resisted at 
a lower point on the butt-plate the bending 
up must be necessarily greater, and the 
nearer you can get the resistance into a 
straight line behind the rifle barrel, the less 
the bending up takes place. 

Q^ — How can uniformity be studied in 
this direction? 

A. — By having what is known in the 
market as ''Farrow's butt-plate" on the 



l68 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

stock of your gun ; this is a modification of 
the Swiss butt-plate, in shape and weight, 
to adapt it to the ten pound rifles, which 
only are allowed at Creedmoor. This butt 
you will find to clasp the shoulder, one 
point extending above and the other under- 
neath ; it can always be held in the same 
position. 

Q^ — I am afraid I am tiring you consid- 
erably, I will think over what you have 
said and call in another day. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 169 



Chapter III. 

Good morning, Mr. Farrow, I have been 
studying over your points and would like a 
little more information upon the subject. 

A. — Have you bought a rifle? 

Q^ — Hardly, after your lecture. I was 
at a loss which make of rifle to purchase. 
Going from one manufacturer to another, I 
discovered a new point which we had not 
discussed ; one maker told me that his 
action only was free from any chance of 
accidental discharge, another told me the 
" safety notch " in their guns was of such 
perfect construction that it was impossible 
to have an accidental discharge with it, so 
"when doctors disagree who shall decide?" 
What do you think of the actions in the 
market, is there a perfect one? 

A. — To this question I must answer no. 
I do not think there is yet off'ered in the 
market a perfect rifle action. 



170 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

Q^ — I am greatly surprised at that, why 
are the}^ not perfect? 

A. — It would be impossible to answer 
your question without going into details 
and illustrating with each particular make ; 
but I will say this, the majority of them are 
too heavy, taking away from the w^eight of 
the barrel in their construction, metal, that 
would be of far more service and in better 
position to lessen the recoil and ensure 
greater accuracy. 

The shape of certain guns is very much 
against them, as mentioned before, about a 
very crooked stock ; I think the}' are an 
abomination. 

Q^ — Do you think a heavy barrel an 
advantage? 

A. — T do think it an advantage, espec- 
ially in oft-hand shooting. 

Q^ — Where is the advantage? 

A. — The point is right here : w^e will 
take this very Springfield rifle and you 
stand in position to shoot at the bull's eye ; 
you have a pull of six pounds to release 
the scear ; now if that rifle barrel weighs 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I7I 



seven pounds, in the ellbrt to make the 
final pull on the trigger, you will move the 
barrel a less distance from the bull's eye in 
the pulling, than you will if the barrel 
weighs but four pounds. Do you see the 
line of reasoning? 

Q^ — I see that you imply it is easier to 
pull four pounds in a given direction than 
it is seven ; this I must admit. Are there 
any actions in the market with a barrel that 
weighs seven pounds? 

A. — There are actions with barrels of 
seven pounds, but such rifles would not be 
allowed at Creedmoor because of their over 
w^eight ; rifles there must not weigh over 
ten pounds. 

Q^ — Knowing all this, Mr. Farrow, I 
should think you would get out an action 
yourself, as undoubtedly you could find 
manufacturers to construct rifles upon your 
principles. 

A. — I have been studying on the subject 
of a perfect breech action for some time, 
but an ingenious friend of mine named 
Brown, who has often exchanged ideas 



172 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



with me on this subject, has at last accom- 
plished something which is the nearest to 
perfection in the way of breech mechanism 
and barrel, of an3'thing that I have ever 
seen or heard of. 

Q^ — Where are they manufactured, and 
are they in the market yet? 

A. — The rifles will probably be made in 
New York city, but are not yet in the mar- 
ket ; dealers will have them for sale 
another season ; but you must not put off* 
your practice until then, though you are 
determined to have the best rifle Americans 
can produce. I would advise you to buy, 
borrow, or hire a rifle and practice with 
that. 

Q. — What are the features necessary for 
a perfect breech action? 

A. — First we must have a breech-block 
sliding at right angles w^ith the bore of the 
barrel ; this must have strength and solid- 
ity to withstand the heaviest of charges ; 
the hammer may be concealed or not, but 
a central blow^ is imperative ; the trigger 
should be so arranged that the most effect- 



HINTS TO BE(;iNx\ERS. 1 73 

ive pull, is in the direction which will 
release its point with tlie minimum amount 
of force. 

Q^ — I do not quite comprehend your 
ideas in regard to the pull of the trigger. 

A. — The sporting rifles at Creedmoor to 
be allowed in matches, must be able to lift a 
three pound weight, when attached to the 
trigger, without releasing the hammer. 
The ordinary construction of the trigger on 
American made rifles is such that a weight 
suspended in a direct line with the centre 
of the butt-plate, is supposed to be pulling 
in a direction to release the trigger with 
the least amount of force. Now, as I stand 
up with this Springfield rifle in position to 
shoot, you will see that the pressure of the 
finger on the trigger does not come in the 
direction of that line just illustrated, it has 
a more upw^ard direction ; this is one of the 
most important features to constitute a per- 
fect action. 

Qc. — Well, good day, Mr. Farrow, you 
have given me much to think about; I w^U 
call again. 



174 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



Chaptp:r IV. 

Q^ — Well, Mr. Farrow, I have bought a 
rifle that will answer me until I find the 
perfect action that you mentioned, and have 
come to you for instruction ; where does 
the first lesson begin? 

A. — Let me look at your purchase ; 
thirtj^-eight calibre, central fire shell, 
adapted to the patch bullet, that is correct. 
Now, the sights; you must have a "peep" 
sight and also a wind gauge for the front 
sight. 

Q^ — Wind gauge ! and is it necessary to 
have a wind gauge? I fancied the wind 
would not have much influence upon a 
bullet going two hundred yards. What is 
the use of the wind gauge anyhow? 

A. — You will believe me, after some 
practice, that the best plan is to always 
hold with the sights at one particular spot 
on the target ; if you have no wind gauge 
it is impossible to comply with this : one 



HINTS TO BEGINNEKS. I75 

day the wind will be from the left, carrying 
the bullet three or four inches to the right 
of the zero point on the target, the next 
day the wind may be from the right, 
which would blow the bullet as much in 
the opposite direction ; this would keep 
you aiming first on one side of the bull's 
eye and then on the other, ^Yhile with the 
wind gauge you make corrections for this 
drifting of the bullet wdth the wind and 
always hold at the same point. 

Q^ — How do you make these corrections 
on the wind gauge for the drifting of the 
bullet? 

A. — The wind gauge is a sliding sight 
w^ith a zero point ; it is adjustable with a 
screw. The sliding part is in the shape of 
a thimble, containing the pin-head or 
aperture sight with w^hich we draw our 
aim. I always use w^hat is called the pin- 
head sight, and in aiming place on the 
target immediately under the bull's eye at 
six o'clock. 

Q^ — What do you mean bv '' six o'clock 
vmder the bull's eve?" 



176 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

A. — It is a part of rifle nomenclature to 
use an imaginary watch dial, not only on 
the target, but also on the range. In the 
former, placing the dial inside the bull's 
eye, a shot striking on the centre upper 
edge, would be a " twelve o'clock bull ; " 
one at the bottom edge would be a ^^ six 
o'clock bull," and so round for the different 
figures. On the range the six o'clock 
point of the dial represents the shooter, the 
twelve o'clock the target, and the wind 
blowing from the direction of the figures is 
denoted as a wind from that quarter; for 
instance, a nine o'clock wind would be 
from left to right, directly across the range ; 
a three o'clock would be exactl}^ in the 
opposite direction. 

Q^ — Why do you always hold the sight 
at " six o'clock " under the bull's eye ; why 
not hold the pin-head on the bull's eye. 

A. — In holding the pin-head on the bull's 
eye, I found it was impossible, sometimes, 
to tell w^hether it was on or above the bulFs 
eye, and have often been credited with 
"twelve o'clock fours," or "centres," as 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 1 77 

they call them at Creedmoor, when I was 
certainly sure of a perfect pull with the 
sight on the bull's eye. This happened so 
frequently that I at once changed the point 
of aim, and must say it was a great 
improvement. 

Q^ — Now will you explain to me how to 
use this wind gauge? 

A. — I will set our wind gauge on the 
zero point ; if we shoot with a perfect aim 
and the bullet lands on the target at good 
elevation, but outside of the bull's eye to 
the left, we will then understand that the 
wind has drifted the projectile four or five 
inches in that direction. To make the 
proper corrections it will be necessary to 
move our wind gauge in the same direction 
from its zero point that the bullet has taken 
on the target ; as the point with which we 
draw our line of sight is in the thimble and 
moves with the wind gauge, you will per- 
ceive that in the moving, the muzzle of the 
rifle is carried against the wind ; our next 
bullet will go into the wind and then swing- 
back for the centre of the bull. We thus 



178 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

divide, with the second bullet, the distance 
which our first one was forced awa}^ from 
the central line of the target. 

Q^ — You spoke of aperture sights ; what 
is the aperture sight and do you never use 
it? 

A. — I only use the aperture disc for long 
range work ; there you will find it very 
useful ; it is a small circle of steel in which 
the bull's eye must be properly centred to 
obtain good results. I have discarded it 
for oft-hand work, having found on a 
windy day it w^as almost impossible to use 
it with success. 

Q^ — What is this little glass attachment 
here? 

A. — There, hold the rifle so^ you will 
perceive a little bubble ; this is a spirit 
level with which to detect any deviation of 
the sight from a true perpendicular ; we 
can detect with it the slightest twist of the 
rifle in either direction. I only use it for 
the longer ranges. 

Q^ — What do these marks and figures 
indicate upon the bar of the peep sight? 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I79 

A. — They are arbitrary divisions, and 
being numbered, facilitate the using of the 
vernier scale to correct the elevations in 
hundredths of an inch. After once locat- 
ing your elevation for two hundred yards, 
you will seldom have to change more than 
a point or two with the same ammunition. 

Q^ — This hole in the peep appears very 
small ; I can scarcely see through it, and 
objects have ^ fuzzy appearance. 

A. — Let me look at it. It is far too 
small, and the fuzzy appearance you 
describe is occasioned by too much metal ; 
there is a diffraction of light inside this tiny 
little peep hole. You will find nearly all 
factory-made sights in this same condition. 
We must run a drill with an oval shaped 
point into the peep disc towards the eye, 
cutting out the metal and only leave a very 
thin iid.g^ to surround the peep hole ; then 
we get a clearer and better view of the 
target and front sight. This is a very 
important point, many marksmen thinking 
that the finer the peep hole the more 
accurate will be their aim, but they make a 



l8o HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

mistake, the eye will naturally seek the 
centre of the hole in the peep, as the view 
at that point is clearer and more distinct, 
and after a little practice } ou w^ill detect 
instinctively any wandering of the eye from 
this position. 

Q^ — Now that I understand the use of 
the peep and wind gauge, what practice 
had I best begin? 

A. — I cannot commend too h'ghly to 
you the importance of what I call " home 
practice," that is, placing upon the wall or 
lamp shade a tiny bull's eye, one eighth of 
an inch for ten feet distance is about the 
size, then assuming the position as if in 
actual contest, aiming at the bull's eye and 
snapping the rifle, of course without any 
cartridge in, at the tiny point. This will 
educate your linger and eye for real work, 
and must be learned quite thoroughly 
before you may ever expect to become a 
prize winner. 

Q^ — How long should I practice at this? 

A. — Half an hour twice a day. Morn- 
ing and evening would be a good time for 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. l8l 

training. This practice will appear to you 
rather monotonous and something like 
taking medicine, but it is as important as 
the latter and fully as efficacious. 

Q^ — How long must I practice this before 
going to the two hundred yards at a rest? 

A. — At least one week's time ; your 
finger and eye will then become partially 
educated and you will be able to fire a few 
shots without so much of that involuntary 
"bracing up," which is the bane of "off- 
hand" riflemen. 

You jvill find in your first practice hard 
work to prevent the eye from closing when 
the hammer strikes. When you are posi- 
tive you can snap ten shots without wink- 
ing, it will be time for you to try the two 
hundred yards at rest. 

Q^ — Well, good day, Mr. Farrow, I 
intend to follow out your directions and will 
give it a thorough trial. 



l82 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



Chapter V. 

Tyro. — Here I am back once more, Mr. 
Farrow. 

Mr. F. — Good morning, I am very glad 
to see you, indeed I liad nearly given up 
seeing you again ; let me see, it is some 
two weeks since you were here. 

Q^ — Yes, sir, I found the task you set me 
more difficult than I expected, and I deter- 
mined to bother you no further until I had 
accomplished the feat satisfactorily. 

A. — I am gratified to find you so pains- 
taking, it is the only sure road to success. 
Let me see how well you can go through 
the trial. Here ! aim at this spot. 

Q^ — Shall I snap the hammer? 

A. — Certainly, I want to see the exact 
mode of practice you have been taking. 
Is that the way you have been holding 
your rifle? 

Q^ — Why ! yes, this is the position I 
saw the riflemen in pictures, and supposed 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 183 

it was the correct attitude to cultivate. 
What is your position for two hundred 
yards oft-hand? 

A. — 1 do not wonder you devoted two 
weeks' time before you accomplished what 
you desired, if practicing with the left arm 
so, fully extended under the barrel. In 
learning the use of the shot gun, I would 
advise the left arm extended, but not too 
fully so ; in your two weeks' practice you 
have undoubledly discovered that the 
longer you supported the rifle, the greater 
the vibration and trembling, the point of 
support being so far from the body, increas- 
ing as the continued strain is sustained. 

Q^ — I have detected all that you sa}^ 
and would like to cultivate the proper and 
most successful style of holding. 

A. — There are a number of modifications 
of the style of holding which I advise. 
My own position, you will see, is natural 
and easy. I place the butt of the rifle 
against my shoulder thus, the muzzle rest- 
ing upon the table in front. Now, then, I 
Dlace the thumb of the left hand under the 



184 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

trigger-guard, the fingers fully extended 
and touching the fore-end of the rifle stock 
in such a way that a sort of cradle is 
formed of the first three fingers, making an 
elastic cushion of the finger tips, which is 
a most desirable plan in the way of a rest 
for the rifle. I now lift the muzzle of the 
rifle up to the line of the target ; my left 
elbow is pressed against the side of the 
body, and if your conformation is such that 
it will touch the hip, so much the better, it 
gives you a more perfect rest with which 
to support the weight of the rifle barrel ; 
you will perceive the vibration or trembling 
of the weapon is reduced to the minimum, 
and in your practice now you will also find 
less of that circular and sweeping motion, 
but a gentle side motion, which depends a 
great deal upon the movement of the body. 
Now, the position of your feet will help 
you to overcome this swinging motion ; 
stand evenly and firmly upon both feet with 
toes well turned out, the left side nearly in 
line with the target ; this will bring your 
chin in position so that it rests upon the 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 185 

check-piece of the stock ; it is a great help, 
it steadies the head and prevents the eye 
from wandering around the aperture in the 
peep sight. 

Q^ — I found great difficulty, in the posi- 
tion in which I practiced, to retain through 
the peep a clear view of the bull's eye, my 
head having a trembling or vibratory 
motion. Let me try your position now. 
[He takes the gun, puts it up and tries to 
get the position ; the elbow does not rest 
upon the hip ; it is the case with many 
riflemen.] 

A. — There, that is about the thing, but 
your conformation is such that your elbow 
does not reach the hip and I w^ould advise 
a modification of this position ; rest the 
trigger-guard upon the palm of the hand, 
the fingers still extended under the fore- 
end ; swing the elbow well across the chest 
and draw it tight in ; you will thus form 
nearly as solid and as perfect a rest as in 
the other. 

Q^ — I perceive at once the advantages 
in favor of your method and would have 



l86 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

called to see 3^ou before if I had been prac- 
ticing in this position. 

A. — Now let me see you snap the rifle. 
[He takes it up and is in the act of taking 
aim.] One moment, your finger is hardly 
on the trigger. Have you been practicing 
pulling with the first joint only? 

Q^ — Why ! certainly, I have had no 
instructions in that way and presumed it 
would be proper. 

A.— You must press the trigger w^th the 
centre part of the second joint of the finger, 
placing it w^ell around in a hooked position, 
there^ so. The trigger, we will presume, 
pulls off at three and a quarter pounds 
pressure ; now put two pounds or as much 
as is possible upon the trigger without 
releasing the scear. After practice in 
"holding," the rifle will come for an instant 
to a dead stop, that is, the instant in which to 
apply the extra pressure and cause the dis- 
charge ; the rifle will frequently settle, but 
at a wrong point ; you must command your 
finger pressure to such a degree as to 
restrain it from a pull at such a moment. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 187 

Q^ — I think I quite comprehend your 
ideas, Mr. Farrow, and tomorrow I shall 
take my first shoot at two hundred yards. 
You still advise me to begin from a rest? 

A. — By all means, I w^ould advise you to 
devote at least two or three days of each 
week for some time, shooting from a rest at 
two hundred yards on a Creedmoor target. 
Let me know how 3^ou succeed tomorrow, 
I am somewhat interested in vour success. 



l88 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



Chapter VI. 

The pupil appears crestfallen ; his scores 
were not up to the mark he had expected. 

A. — Well, sir, here you are again, just 
returned from your practice ; now what 
success ? 

Q^ — Well, Mr. Farrow, I don't know, 
hardly, what to say ; I fancy this gun is 
nearly worthless. 

A. — You haven't had the success vou 
anticipated in your rest shooting ? 

Qj, — By no means, my first few shots 
seemed to follow with some regularity, but 
I soon lost the bull's eye, and in fact, 
missed the target in a number of instances* 

A. — I am not greatly surprised at that, 
it being your first experience. How was 
your ammunition loaded? 

Q^ — Ammunition? It was some that I 
purchased already made ; it came direct 
from the factory, or at least, I was so 
assured. Do you think the ammunition 
could be in fault? 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 189 

A. — I have never yet seen factory ammu- 
nition that could be reHed upon for that 
accuracy necessary in target shooting at 
two hundred yards. How did you treat the 
rifle barrel, did you clean it after each shot? 

Q^ — Why, no, I didn't clean it from the 
very start. 

A. — You have yet a great deal to learn 
after you have mastered the difficulties of 
holding and the art of pulling the trigger 
at the right instant; you have yet an inter- 
esting study in the treatment of the inside 
of the rifle barrel and the preparation of 
your ammunition. 

Q^ — Do you prepare your own ammuni- 
tion? 

A. — Most certainly, I would hardly trust 
any one to load cartridges for me. The 
kind and quantity of powder used, the 
cleaning of the shells, the proper seating 
of the primer, the material of which the* 
wad is composed, are all necessary and vital 
points of which I must be well assured. 

Q^ — Do you think these points you have 
mentioned are of so much importance? 



IpO HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

What effect does the seating of the primer 
have upon the accuracy of the bullet? 

A. — You will remember my caution to 
you about studying uniformity in every- 
thing. You must remember it in the 
priming of your shells as well as other 
points. Suppose we have a primer settled 
firmly to its seat in the shell ; the blow 
from the hammer will cause the flash from 
the primer to permeate the powder charge 
to a certain depth ; we have another primer 
partially settled, not firm in its seat, the 
same blow^ from the hammer will force the 
primer down and will give a less forcible 
explosion, the flash entering the charge of 
powder to less extent than before ; the com- 
bustion of the powder is influenced by these 
two forces, the one developing a greater 
instantaneous combustion and a larger 
quantity of gas before the bullet escapes 
from the muzzle than the other, conse- 
quently, producing a flatter trajectory and 
showing a difference on the target between 
the two cartridges of from six to eight 
inches. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I9I 

Qc, — Your argument is truly a forcible 
one, I must admit; I would like to prepare 
some cartridges under your direction. 
How do you reload your shells ? 

A. — The shells should be properly 
cleaned and carefully dried and the 
primers seated well down. I am satisfied 
to measure, not weigh the powder, and load 
each shell through a tube of at least twenty- 
four inches in length. This gives the 
powder a fall of sufficient force to pack 
itself in the shell with greater uniformity 
and less trouble than by shaking or tapping 
it; then place a ward, cut from thin card 
board or stout blotting paper, to retain the 
powder in its position. If there is a shoul- 
der in the chamber, at the muzzle of the 
shell and base of the rifling, I do not con- 
sider it the better way to seat the bullet in 
the shell, but drop it into the chamber of 
the rifle and push it with a stick or instru- 
ment made for the purpose, up into the 
rifling until the base of the bullet is in front 
of the shoulder ; then insert the loaded shell. 

I am presuming you are using the j^a-per 



192 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

patch bullet^ as we know it will give the 
best results. 

Q^ — Did you say I must clean the rifle 
after each shot? 

A. — Most assuredly. You would think 
a clemi barrel should give better results 
than one full of powder dirt and debris 
from the cartridge. There are brushes 
with rubber attachment to facilitate the 
cleaning. The brush is wet witli water 
and simply pushed through the barrel with 
a cleaning rod, then followed with one 
rag ; this will be suflicient to ensure good 
results on ordinary occasions. 

Q^ — I will again say good day, Mr. 
Farrow, you have given me renewed con- 
fidence in this rifle, and my next attemjpt 
shall not fail from lack of good ammunition. 

A. — I am very much interested in your 
success ; as soon as you have made your ten 
consecutive bulFs e\'es at two hundred 
yards from a rest, if you will call again, 
w^e will take a trip to Creedmoor together. 
If possible, it shall be on the day of a match. 
I will see how you go through the ordeal. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I93 



Chapter VII . 

By appointment Mr. Farrozv meets Tyro 
at the Ferry on the way to Creedmoor. 

Q^ — Mr. Farrow, I have been waiting 
for you some time. 

A. — I am very glad to see you so early 
on the ground ; it is really a vital point to 
be early at the range if you desire to 
become a winner of the first prize ; there is 
always an anxious or slightly nervous 
feeling experienced by every marksman 
that enters a match and really strives for 
the first position ; by being a little in 
advance of your brother riflemen this feel- 
ing has time to get worn ofl', and will affect 
you less when your turn comes to shoot. 

Qj, — You are alvvays ready with some 
'' point," I see ; I wonder what will be the 
next one? 

A. — I wish to make a prediction ; that 
notwithstanding all the points I have given 



194 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

you I shall find that you have been experi- 
menting with your ammunition ah'eady. 

Qc — Wh}' ! what makes y(m think so? 

A. — My whole experience has been that 
way. I have started a great many rifle- 
men and shown them my exact methods ; 
in a very short time I have found them 
experimenting in all sorts of ways, and I 
fancied you would be no exception to the 
rule. Of the entire number that I have 
helped on the way, I can remember but 
one that implicitly followed my instructions 
without any variation or experiments. He 
shot well from the start, soon was a prize 
winner, and made it very interesting for me 
in many matches. 

But here we are on the other side. Have 
you joined the Association? 

Q^ — No ; this is my first visit to Creed- 
moor, and I had not thought of it. 

A. — The Railroad trains do not run 
direct to Creedmoor ; you must get tickets 
for Qj^ieen's and go by stage from there to 
the range. 

Q^ — How awkward that is; I fancied 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I95 

the trains landed us directly at the firing 
points. 

A. — Far from it ; but you will see enough 
to interest you while on the w^ay. There 
is a number of other marksmen in the car; 
betbre w^e return you shall make their 
acquaintance. 

Q^ — Do you think the}" are all going 
into the match? 

A. — Undoubtedly the majority of them 
will take part. And here is another 
" point : " don't let your mind dw^ell on how 
many co7npctitors there are, who they are, 
or what the??' record — strive to think of 
something entirely disconnected with what 
you are about to do. This anticipation of 
events has broken up many a sure winner. 
If, in the beginning of your experience, 
you cultivate that folly of watching your 
competitors, seeing what they are doing, 
minding their scores instead of attending 
entirelv to your own affairs, or get think- 
ing of what somebody else is doing, how 
many bull's eyes this one or that one is 
making, — you will surely go the way of 



196 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



the ordinary marksman. You must, if 
possible, eliminate from your mind all ideas 
of what the other competitors are doing ; 
give your whole attention to making a bull's 
eye of each individual shot. 

Q^ — That will come rather hard with me 
as I am always curious to know what my 
neighbors are doing. 

A. — That is generally the way, especiall}^ 
w^ith beginners. It takes a great deal of 
nerve to cultivate this restraint, but by all 
means do make the eftbrt. Halloo I here 
we are at Queen's Station ; I wonder if we 
shall get a seat in the wagon. It is quite 
interesting, the way those gentlemen are 
running and scrambling for their seats, but 
take it cool, take it quiet. Let us arrive 
there as free from excitement as possible. 

Q^ — Do we ride far? 

A. — The carriage takes us to the Club 
House on the Range, where we will make 
the entries for the match and then walk to 
the firing points. I think we will be in 
time to hire a target for half an hour and 
get some practice before the match begins. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I97 

It will give an opportunit}' to correct our 
elevations and windage. Many a match 
has been lost by starting with a WTong ele- 
vation or without proper allowance for the 
wind. 

Q^ — This is the Club House, I presume. 
Creedmoor is really a beautiful place. 
What are those long, low targets in the 
distance? [Supposed to be looking from 
the Club House, down the range.] 

A. — The targets you see are six feet high 
by twelve feet wdde, and are used at the 
extreme distances. Let us go down to the 
two hundred yards firing point; I seethe 
superintendent is there ; we will have some 
practice. Is this 3'our first attempt at ofi- 
hand, two hundred yards? 

Q^ — I have shot a few times while out at 
rest-shooting, but never a complete score. 

A. — Were you quite successful in shoot- 
ing from a rest? , 

Qc — Oh ! yes, I made the ten Creedmoor 
bull's eyes some time ago. I have lately 
been practicing on the ring target. 

A. — You w411 find your elevation for off- 



198 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

hand somewhat higher than for your rest 
shooting ; place it at five minutes or hun- 
dredths above and try a shot. You will 
also find it is more difficult ^^ holding"'' here 
at Creedmoor than any other range, being 
completely unsheltered from the breeze 
makes it very trying, especially on a windy 
day. Many fine marksmen have been dis- 
appointed at Creedmoor^ not being able to 
attain the same scores at two hundred yards 
they make so easily at their own ranges. 

Q^ — Here come the marksmen ; we must 
close our practice. Shall I shoot on the 
same target with you? 

A. — I presume not. The squadding is 
usually done by "drawing for targets." 
Please remember now my instructions about 
being indiff'erent to your neighbors' move- 
ments, watch only your own score ; see to it 
that the score-keeper puts down the proper 
figure after each shot* Many a match has 
been lost by a mistake of the score-keeper 
in not putting down the correct figures. 

[J/r. Farrow interviews the Secretary 
and returns with the score cards.] 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. I99 

You are squadded on Target No. 7, 
while I am on Tar^-et No. 2. We will 
meet again at the conclusion of the match. 

[Mr. F. wins the contest w^ith a score of 
forty-seven. The pupil has actually made 
a score of forty-two wath two " magpies ; " 
this gives him four bull's eyes in the ten 
shots.] 

How have you enjoyed your first experi- 
ence? 

Q^ — I hardly know ; I really tried to fol- 
low^ your instructions to the letter. I felt 
inclined, though, to blame the marker at 
the target for one or two shots I expected 
bull's eyes for. What do you think of my 
first attempt? 

A. — Let me see j^our score ticket. Flow 
did you finish your string? Three — four — 
three ! Looks rather suspicious on the 
end. I think you must have become a 
trifle nervous. 

Qc — You are quite right. I was well 
satisfied and doing nicely until two or three 
marksmen from the other target came up 
and examined the scores ; perforce I had 



200 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

to follow their lead and became so anxious 
over my succeeding shots that I nervously 
flinched, pulled them away from the bull's 
eye. 

A. — Your first experience is undoubtedly 
a valuable one. Let us go back to the one 
thousand yards firing point and see what 
the Long Range shooters are doing. You 
should be well satisfied wdth this first 
attempt, and if you wdll carefully continue 
your home practice and remember the 
"points" that I have tried to inculcate, you 
wall certainly succeed. 

In conclusion I wash to impress one more 
"point" on your mind. If you ever lose 
confidence in your gun, ammunition, or 
ability, go at once to the two hundred yards 
range and shoot from a rest, upon a paper 
target ; there you will at once discover which 
is at fault. A first class rifle will put ten 
consecutive bullets in a four inch circle at 
two hundred yards. Don't satisfy yourself 
with off-hand practice in a case of this kind. 

Q^ — I will do my best to follow your 
instructions. 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 20I 

A. — Have you ever seen any long range 
practice? If not you will be somewhat 
surprised at the position which some of the 
shooters assume. 

Q^ — Which do you consider the strongest 
position? 

A. — The "back position ;" it is most gen- 
erally adopted now. The shooter lies 
partly upon the right side, the left hand 
grasping the rifle barrel in front of the 
action. The peep-sight is carried as near 
to the end of the butt stock as possible, 
because the greater the distance between 
the sights of the rifle, the more accurately 
can the elevations be adjusted. The left 
foot is planted firmly upon the ground, with 
the knee in a nearly perpendicular position, 
the right leg clasping the left ankle, thus 
forming a V shaped rest, and one in which 
the pulsations of the body influence the 
rifle the least. The butt-plate rests firmly 
against the shoulder, while the right hand 
grasps the stock in such a position that the 
first finger rests upon the trigger. A num- 
ber of shooters bring the left hand to a 



202 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

position immediately in front of the peep- 
sight, and have a short leather strap attached 
to the left wrist ; this is seized by the teeth 
and makes a very convenient support for 
the head and neck. 

Q^ — What a loud noise those guns make ? 
What calibre are the rifles ? 

A. — They are forty-five calibre, and use 
from one hundred to one hundred and fif- 
teen grains of powder with five hundred and 
fift}^ grains of lead. The recoil from these 
guns is very near two hundred pounds at 
each discharge. The regulations allow 
the uee of pads and cushions to prevent the 
markiiman from getting bruised. 

Q^ — -How about preparing this amuni- 
tion? 

A. — My remarks on preparing ammuni- 
tion for the short range, will. apply as well 
for the long range ; also as to the manner of 
cleaning the rifle ; it must be done after 
each discharge. Great difficulty is experi- 
enced by long range riflemen in getting 
bullets of precisely the same diameter and 
density of material. This will explain, in a 



HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



great measure, why a marksman to-day 
makes a most brilliant score, and another 
day, when another batch of bullets is used, 
his scores I'all far below the average. But 
lately, an instrument called a'^ sizer" through 
which the bullets are pressed to give them 
a uniform diameter, is generall}' used by 
the most experienced marksmen. 

Q^ — What rifle is best for this distance ? 

A.-^There is not much choice between 
the different makes of rifles in the market, 
but whichever one you choose, don't fail to 
shoot it at the two hundred yards, and unless 
you can shoot ten bullets so that a four 
inch circle will contain them, there is some 
defect either in ammunition, gun or holding. 

Q^ — How do you detect the variations in 
the force of the wind ? 

A. — This is onlv to be done bv what can 
be discovered from the flags that are 
posted on the range. Creedmoor is very 
poorly flagged, having few flags and those 
situated on but one side of the range. The 
shooters that are squadded on the extreme 
right hand targets have a great advantage 



204 HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 

over those in the middle of the range, and 
the majority of the high scores recorded at 
Creedmoor were made upon these right 
hand targets. 

This long range shooting is another 
branch of study of the art; each particular 
rifle will require some peculiar manage- 
ment or treatment almost entirely different 
from its neighbor, due to the fitting of the 
shell, or the depth of the rifling, or kind of 
primers, the kind of powder, or thickness 
of the patches, the care in cleaning neces- 
sary to ensure uniformity in the inside of 
the barrel, all these, and many other points 
will require careful attention. 

Q^ — ^Your experience at Creedmoor 
would be very valuable to a beginner, and 
if I ever take up long range work, I shall 
surely need your assistance. 

Mr, Farrow. — Good bye, Mr. Tyro, 
any points upon which you are in doubt or 
need information, even news of that "per- 
fect breech action," I will most cheerfully 
give, a letter sent to Newport, R. I., will 
surelv find me. 



I^ricnds :- 

The writer has endeavored to give in 
these pages his personal experiences in 
becoming proficient in the art of rifle shoot- 
ing. Much has been written on the subject, 
theories advanced, lines laid dow^n with rules 
for practice, etc., all of which possess more 
or less merit ; the author commends them 
to the attention of inquiring minds and sim- 
ply tells his story. If any inaccuracies 
should seem to appear to those friends 
familiar with these scenes, I would remind 
them that they were seen but through mine 
own eyes. I have not the gift that Burns 
craved, 

*' Oh ! wai some goodie the giftie give us, 
To see oursel's as others see us." 

W. Milton Farrow. 



After a great deal of persuasion, amount- 
ing almost to persecution on our part, we 
assisted in the preparation and induced Mr. 
Farrow to publish this interesting narra- 
tive. As this is our first attempt to assume 
the duties of editorship, any faults of omis- 
sion or commission we trust will be judged 

leniently. 

Editor. 








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